The government on Wednesday said India faced challenges in the availability of chemical fertilizer di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) this year due to geopolitical disturbances, and asked stakeholders to continue working in cohesion in ensuring healthy food for all.

Addressing the annual seminar of the Fertilizer Association of India in New Delhi, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel praised her own department amid farmers reporting a huge shortage of DAP during key months of September-October when they need to prepare the field for next crop.

“Today, when I look at the scenario of the availability of fertilizers worldwide, I would like to say with pride that Department of Fertilizers has worked tirelessly to support the large farming community that we have in India,” she said adding that the government took several proactive measures to overcome the challenge.

Geopolitical crisis

Further she said: “We are all aware that India’s agricultural sector depends significantly on the import of some of the critical fertilizers like DAP, MOP, NPKs and partially even urea. This year, there have been some geopolitical disturbances which led to supply chain disruption and that had an impact on the availability of fertilizers, especially of DAP in the country.”

The measures, taken by the government, included procurement of fertilizers through long-term agreements with supplier countries, focus on promoting the use of alternatives such as nano-fertilizers like nano-DAP and nano-Urea. Besides, the Department of Fertilizers had regular coordination with the States, port authorities, Ministry of Railways and fertilizer companies to ensure responsible dispatch of fertilizers to the demand-intensive regions.

The minister also touched upon the issue of soil health which resonates the government’s focus on natural farming. She said: “We must embrace a future where fertilizers are used religiously and where agricultural productivity is enhanced without compromising the health of the soil and , without compromising with our environment. Fertilizer sustainability is not just a necessity but to take care of our environment and at the same time enhance our nutrition security.”

“Through this platform, I would like to request all the stakeholders in this sector to continue working in cohesion in the interest of our larger goal, which is to ensure healthy food for all,” she said.

Govt’s special package

When asked if the current DAP shortage would lead to drop in yield of rabi crops, she declined to comment.

Data show that the opening balance in current rabi season was 17.75 lakh tonne (lt) against 25.41 lt year-ago. Sales of DAP were recorded at 11.48 lt in October 2024, which is 16 per cent lower than 13.64 lt year-ago. The estimated demand for October was pegged at 18.69 lt by States. However, in the first week of November, sales of DAP rebounded to 3.20 lt from 2.62 lt year-ago.

The import of DAP surged 58.6 per cent to 8.17 lt in October from 5.15 lt in the corresponding period last year. But during April-October period its import dropped 29 per cent to 27.84 lt.

The minister also said the government has announced a special package of ₹2,625 crore in which ₹3,500 per tonne additional subsidy has been fixed to make the price sustainable for the companies to import DAP and remains unaffected by the global price volatility. Secondly, the overall increase in the prices of phosphatic (P) and potash (K) fertilizers in the international market has to be related to the domestic market prices.

Appealing to global suppliers attending the event, she urged them to contribute to the bigger objective of making sufficient fertilizers available to Indian farmers and assured them that it is going to be a win-win situation not just for them, but also for the farmers. Patel said the government wants to ensure sufficient quantity of fertilizer is made available at the right time and at reasonable prices to farmers.

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