Source: Economic Times, 10 December 2025
India’s urea imports jumped 136.6% as domestic output fell 4% between April–October 2025.
DAP imports rose 69.1%, while production fell 7.4%; NPK production grew 12.6%, but imports surged 80.6%.
China’s temporary export halt triggered shortages during kharif sowing, forcing costly diversification of supply sources.
September saw 6× higher urea imports year-on-year to rebuild depleted stocks.
Strong, well-distributed monsoon increased fertiliser consumption across maize and other nutrient-heavy crops.
India expects near self-sufficiency soon with new urea plants, after touching a record 31.4 MT domestic output in FY24.
Strategic note: A sharp rise in fertiliser imports signals both China-linked supply shocks and India’s rising nutrient demand driven by strong monsoons and acreage expansion.
