India Seeks Fertilizer from Saudi Arabia Amid War Disruptions
India is engaging in talks with Saudi Arabia to secure additional fertilizer supplies, as the South Asian nation grapples with disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israeli war on Iran. India, the world's second-largest fertilizer consumer after China, utilizes over 60 million tons annually. The country's domestic production of urea, which constitutes more than half of its total fertilizer consumption, has been adversely affected since shipping routes were disrupted by the Middle East conflict.
The Gulf region is a critical source of India's fertilizer imports, supplying up to 30 percent of urea, approximately 30 percent of phosphate fertilizer DAP, and nearly 50 percent of liquefied natural gas, a key raw material for fertilizer production. Earlier this week, India's Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef held a virtual meeting to address the issue.
“In view of evolving global challenges and disruptions in West Asia, India has taken proactive steps to ensure the stability and continuity of fertilizer supplies for our farmers,” Nadda stated after the talks. Saudi Arabia is the second-largest source of DAP for India, and the two countries share a “strong and growing partnership” in the fertilizer sector, according to Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Suhel Ajaz Khan.
“Saudi Arabia has been a reliable and significant supplier of DAP, NPK and urea fertilizers to India over the years, consistently supporting its agricultural needs,” Khan told Arab News on Saturday. “Both sides remain in regular touch and more such long-term arrangements are under discussion between our two countries to further secure the supply of fertilizers.” This development comes as Indian farmers express concerns over the ripple effects of fuel shortages and soaring fertilizer prices as they prepare for the growing season.
“If there is no fertilizer, the yield from farms will go down drastically. India has a huge population that needs to be fed and many are on the margins. If we don’t grow enough, how will we feed them?” Rakesh Kumar Bains, press secretary of Indian Farmers’ Union BKU, said to Arab News. The government’s recent appeal to Indians to shift to natural farming and use natural fertilizers to mitigate the impacts of the global crisis is “misplaced,” he added, explaining that the country’s food production still depends on the government securing a steady supply of fertilizers.
“It cannot be implemented. With natural fertilization, the yield per acre would be 10 quintals; with fertilizer, it is 30. The government cannot be oblivious to this reality. We adopted fertilizer to boost agriculture and we cannot stop it suddenly,” Bains said. “To maintain good yield, we need fertilizer, and it’s up to the government how it manages that.” Closer cooperation with Saudi Arabia is important for India “to maintain uninterrupted stock to meet domestic agriculture needs,” said Manish Mohan, a senior director at Confederation of Indian Industry.
“We need to really look at Saudi Arabia and our imports of fertilizers from Saudi Arabia at this critical time,” he told Arab News. “Beyond DAP, Saudi Arabia also exports other crucial minerals, mineral fertilizers, and urea to India, and we have been consistently importing from Saudi Arabia, and it is emerging among the top three overall fertilizer import partners globally. There is huge scope (for further imports).”
