India’s fertiliser production plummeted nearly a quarter in March due to disrupted natural gas imports from the Middle East conflict, threatening global food security.
NEW DELHI: India’s fertiliser production plunged by 24.6% in March 2026 compared to the same month last year, according to official data released late Monday.
The Ministry of Commerce confirmed the dramatic slump, which followed three consecutive months of growth earlier in the year.
This sharp decline is directly attributed to disruptions in natural gas imports, a critical feedstock for urea production, caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in late February after the United States and Israel launched a war on the country, blocking a key transit route for energy and fertiliser inputs.
A third of the world’s fertilisers normally pass through this strategic waterway, with the disruption prompting multiple warnings about the impact on global food production.
India’s vast agriculture sector, which employs more than 45% of the population, is deeply sensitive to such global energy price swings and input shortages.
The Ministry of Petroleum has insisted that “adequate stocks of fertilisers are available” and that “sourcing of fertilisers is being diversified across multiple countries”.
Fertiliser output had risen by 3.4% in February, 3.7% in January and 4.1% in December 2025 before the March collapse.
India relies heavily on imports for urea and key raw materials like rock phosphate, phosphoric acid and potash to meet its domestic fertiliser demand.
Demand peaks during the Kharif sowing season from June to July and again for the Rabi season from October to November for winter crops.
Earlier in April, India increased subsidies for fertilisers by 11% in an attempt to protect farmers from surging international prices.
The World Trade Organization warned last month that disruptions to fertiliser supplies pose a double threat to global food security.
