The Center on Monday said India has “ample” fertilizer stocks to meet demand for the upcoming Kharif sowing season and appealed to farmers not to resort to panic buying amid concerns triggered by the Middle East situation, PTI reported.Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in the Middle East, Aparna S Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers, said the country’s fertilizer security remains “comfortable and well managed”.“India’s fertilizer security remains comfortable and well managed,” Sharma said.She said the government has ensured sufficient domestic production as well as imports of urea and other key nutrients to meet demand during the peak Kharif season.According to the Department of Agriculture’s assessment, fertilizer requirement for Kharif 2026 stands at 390.54 lakh tonnes.“As on date for the season of Kharif 2026, based on the fertilizer requirement that has been assessed by the Department of Agriculture, the stock is more than 51 per cent,” Sharma said.She noted that the current stock position is significantly higher than the usual benchmark of around 33 per cent of seasonal demand.“So the fertilizer stock is comfortable, and the MRP of major fertilizer remains very much the same,” she added.The official said India has secured additional imports to strengthen availability ahead of the sowing season, which is expected to intensify over the next 15-20 days.“Further 12 lakh tonnes of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate), 4 lakh tonnes of triple super phosphate, and 3 lakh tonnes of ammonium sulphate have been secured for the country. This will ensure adequate availability for the peak season,” Sharma said.India has also secured 7 lakh tonnes of NPK complexes from global suppliers.The government said domestic fertilizer production and imports have remained strong despite global supply disruptions.After the recent crisis period, domestic production stood at 76.78 lakh tonnes while imports were 19.94 lakh tonnes.“So a total of 97 lakh metric tonnes of fertilizer has been added to the availability after the crisis situation,” Sharma said.The Center said urea plants across the country are operating at full capacity while phosphatic and potassic fertilizers are also being produced normally.The government also highlighted that maximum retail prices (MRPs) of major fertilizers have remained unchanged despite a sharp increase in global prices.At present, the MRP of neem-coated urea remains fixed at Rs 242 per 45 kg bag, while DAP is priced at Rs 1,350 per 50 kg bag.Sharma acknowledged that there had been “some panic buying initially” but urged farmers not to hoard fertilisers.“There has been some panic buying initially. Our appeal is that ample stock is available,” she said.The Center said states are actively monitoring hoarding, diversion and black marketing of fertilisers.“Regarding the demand management measures, the state level efforts are already being made, and we have the state level interventions to ensure that the fertilizers are not misused or hoarded, or they are not black-marketed,” Sharma said, PTI quoted.The government is also promoting balanced use of fertilizers and alternative soil nutrients through agricultural universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras to reduce excessive dependence on chemical fertilisers.An empowered group of secretaries is reviewing the fertilizer situation every week, Sharma said.India’s urea production has increased significantly over the last decade, rising from 225 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 306.67 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.However, the country still imported more than 100 lakh tonnes of urea in the last fiscal year to meet domestic demand.The Center has projected fertilizer subsidy expenditure at Rs 1,70,805 crore for 2026-27, though officials indicated the subsidy burden could rise further because of higher import costs linked to global price volatility.
