Four cargo vessels carrying critical fertilizer shipments—Urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), and Sulphur—have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now en route to key Indian ports.

 

This marksba significant boost to the country’s agri-input security ahead of the Kharif 2026 season.

 

The ships are headed to Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep, and Mundra, where the consignments will be offloaded and immediately added to domestic buffers, strengthening availability for farmers amid ongoing global trade uncertainties, as per Indian government.

 

“In a significant advancement for India's fertilizers security, four cargo ships carrying vital shipments of Urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), and Sulphur successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz last week. 

 

"Navigating through ongoing global trade challenges, these vessels are currently heading toward their designated destination ports across the country— namely Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep, and Mundra. Upon arrival, these fresh imports will immediately offload to supplement the nation's existing fertilizer buffers and secure ongoing agricultural requirements.”

 

India’s fertilizer system is operating with what officials describe as comfortable inventory buffers. As of June 22, 2026, total stocks stand at 196.08 Lakh Tons, up sharply from 168.67 Lakh Tons in the same period last year.

 

Key stock positions include:

 

Urea: 81.44 Lakh Tons (up from 69.21 Lakh Tons last year)

DAP: 20.92 Lakh Tons (up from 16.0 Lakh Tons last year)

NPKs: 55.91 Lakh Tons (up from 46.13 Lakh Tons last year)

MOP: 12.68 Lakh Tons (up from 10.68 Lakh Tons last year)

SSP: 25.13 Lakh Tons (26.65 Lakh Tons last year)

 

Sales momentum has also strengthened. Between March 1 and June 21, 2026, total fertilizer sales reached 153.4 Lakh Tons, up by 13.2 Lakh Tons compared to the same period last year.

 

“This includes 79.1 Lakh Tons of Urea, 34.8 Lakh Tons of NPKs, and 19.8 Lakh Tons of DAP (including TSP)," as per Department of Fertilizers.

 

Domestic production has been scaled up alongside imports to stabilise supply. Post-crisis output reached 133.12 LMT, while imports during the period stood at 43.69 LMT, reflecting a blended strategy of local manufacturing and global sourcing.

 

On the procurement front, India has contracted 17.70 LMT of Urea in its latest global tender, taking total secured supplies to over 90 LMT of Urea and P&K fertilizers for the ongoing Kharif season.

 

“This macro-scale procurement strategy was facilitated through active diplomatic coordination with 28 Indian Missions abroad, opening up diverse import pipelines across multiple international corridors:

 

Urea Streams: Successfully locked in from Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Nigeria, Russia, Finland, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, and the Netherlands.

 

DAP/NPK Streams: Secured via the Red Sea shipping route from Russia, Morocco, Egypt, USA, Jordan, South Korea, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.”

 

The Department of Fertilizers says it continues to coordinate with states, distribution agencies, and cooperatives to ensure steady availability and uninterrupted supply to the farm sector.