Middle East Crisis: ‘More than adequate stocks’: Government assures no fertiliser shortage amid Middle East crisis

The ongoing Middle East crisis has triggered concerns over the supply of several essential commodities, including fertilisers. Addressing these worries, the government on Saturday said the country’s fertiliser availability remains stable, assuring that existing stocks of urea and other key crop nutrients are “more than adequate”.Speaking at an inter-ministerial media briefing on the situation related to the conflict, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India currently has sufficient fertiliser reserves, particularly as preparations begin for the upcoming Kharif season.“What I can tell you is that India has more than adequate stocks of fertilisers at this point of time, especially for the upcoming Kharif season,” he said.Jaiswal noted that the country’s urea reserves are currently higher than the levels recorded at the same time last year. “Our stocks of urea are more than what they were at this point last year,” he said.The spokesperson also highlighted a stronger stock position for other fertilisers. According to him, reserves of DAP (Diammonium phosphate) are now double the levels seen in 2025, while stocks of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) are also significantly higher compared with last year.He urged commentators to rely on verified information when discussing supply concerns. “Observers and commentators would do well to look at the factual situation and not induce panic through uninformed speculation,” he said.DAP is the most widely used phosphorus fertiliser, while NPK is suitable for all stages of plant growth.Jaiswal said domestic urea production is currently expected to exceed nominal consumption levels, especially as the Rabi season is nearing its end. “In so far as our domestic production of urea is concerned, our current production will be more than our nominal consumption, especially since the Rabi season is coming to an end,” he said. He also pointed out that the government had advanced annual maintenance schedules at certain fertiliser plants in order to maximise output.“In addition, we had taken care to advance the scheduled annual maintenance of some our plants, which means that we are able to maximise production with available gas,” he said. The Department of Fertilisers (DoF), he added, had already issued global tenders in anticipation of potential disruptions linked to the current geopolitical situation.“These have received a very good response and we expect to receive the bulk of the quantities ordered from a variety of sources by end of March. The DoF has also decided to procure spot gas on a competitive basis and the first phase purchase will be by Tuesday,” he said.Jaiswal said India’s international partners have reassured New Delhi that fertiliser shipments will continue without interruption. “All our partners have assured us of uninterrupted supplies and we hope to attain and maintain comfortable fertiliser stocks by the time Kharif demand peaks by May 15,” he said. He added that the department of fertilisers is closely monitoring both domestic and global trends and taking the necessary steps to ensure adequate availability.