Overview
- Government data show combined urea and DAP imports rose 63% to 14.94 million tonnes in April–January, with urea at 8.93 million tonnes and DAP at 9.03 million tonnes, and most of the increase occurred before the February 28 conflict.
- Domestic output of urea and DAP was marginally lower at 28.49 million tonnes in April–January while total sales edged up to 44.39 million tonnes, and the minister of state said there is no proposal to raise the urea price capped at Rs 242 per 45 kg bag.
- To safeguard production, fertiliser plants have been designated Priority Sector-2 with a guarantee of at least 70% of their average natural gas consumption.
- CropLife India warned the conflict is likely to lift pesticide input costs by 20–25%, risking supply disruptions, counterfeit products, and weaker capacity use at technical and formulation plants, particularly for MSMEs.
- Farm leaders reported strain from higher energy, freight and packaging inputs and said small producers tied to Gulf markets are vulnerable, even as the government maintains that urea and DAP supplies are adequate.