India saw its fertilizer production drop by more than a quarter in March, as it fell victim to supply chain difficulties in energy and raw materials caused by the war in the Middle East, according to statistics released on Monday.
The most populous country on the planet – with nearly one and a half billion inhabitants – imports a large part of its hydrocarbon needs, mainly from the Gulf region.
Natural gas is widely used in fertilizer production, which is essential to an agricultural sector that employs over 45% of the Indian workforce, mostly in small farms with low yields.
India heavily relies on imports of essential elements for fertilizer production such as urea, phosphates, and potash.
For the first time in several months, fertilizer production dropped by 24.6% in March compared to the same month the previous year, announced the Indian Ministry of Commerce on Monday evening.
It had increased by 3.4% in February, 3.7% in January, and 4.1% in December 2025, the ministry specified.
The Indian Ministry of Petroleum reassured that the country has “sufficient fertilizer stocks” and varies its sources of supply to maintain reserves.
In India, fertilizer demand peaks in June and July, before the start of the summer monsoon, and then in October and November during the winter planting season.
To avoid any price tension, the government increased subsidies to farmers by 11% this month compared to last year.
The war in the Middle East and restrictions on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a third of the world’s fertilizer production passes, pose a threat to global food security, warned the World Trade Organization (WTO).
/2026/04/21/69e7144def382893895610.jpg "The government prepares new budgetary savings to cope with the cost of the war in the Middle East.")
