The Indian government is entering the kharif 2026 season with a reduced opening stock of urea, raising concerns about potential crop yields. As of April 1, the stock decreased to 54.22 lakh tonnes (lt), down from 55.96 lt the previous year, marking the lowest level in the past four years. This decline is particularly significant given forecasts of below-normal monsoon rainfall. Despite comfortable inventories of other key fertilizers, ensuring adequate urea supplies is essential to mitigate risks to food grain production during the upcoming sowing season.
The previous low for urea stocks was 47.83 lt recorded in Kharif 2022, a year that saw substantial crop production declines in rice, tur, urad, jute, and tobacco, despite abundant rainfall (106% of long-period average). Agriculture scientist A K Singh highlighted that the government has been actively importing urea since September 2025 to improve availability. “If the nutrient fertilizer is provided timely, it may mitigate one risk factor, especially since the distribution of monsoon rainfall remains uncertain this year,” Singh noted.
In addition to urea, the opening stock of di ammonium phosphate (DAP) reached 20.93 lt as of April 1, compared to 9.15 lt the previous year. However, the stock of muriate of potash (MOP) decreased to 8.01 lt from 8.83 lt, while complex fertilizers (containing N, P, K, S nutrients) increased to 48.59 lt from 34.04 lt. Single super phosphate (SSP) stocks rose to 23.4 lt from 21.58 lt.
Experts warn that paddy production could be adversely affected without adequate urea availability, as nearly 82% of its total production exceeds 150 million tonnes occurs during the Kharif season. The Department of Fertilizers recently indicated that more fertilizers would be made available soon, utilizing the typically low-demand period of April-May to bolster reserves.
According to the Union Agriculture Ministry’s feedback from states, India is projected to require a total of 390.56 lt of fertilizers, comprising 194.02 lt of urea, 59.17 lt of DAP, 17.57 lt of MOP, 84.99 lt of complex fertilizers, and 34.81 lt of SSP.
In related developments, a regional agriculture conference is scheduled for April 24 in Lucknow, following the initiative of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The gathering aims to facilitate discussions among agricultural ministers and officials from northern states on state-specific strategies for the upcoming Kharif sowing season, coinciding with the monsoon onset in Kerala. A concrete action plan will focus on various issues, including farming practices, farmer income, technological advancements, marketing, agricultural infrastructure, fertilizer availability, and combatting black marketing.
Published on April 22, 2026.
