Morocco’s OCP, which has 70 per cent of the world’s phosphate reserves, sees total export of phosphorus (P), including DAP and rock phosphate to India may exceed 2.5 million tonnes (mt) in 2025 (January-December) from about 1.8 mt in CY24. Given the importance of the crop nutrient P in food production, OCP also sees the same level of export to continue in CY2026 as well.
“For more than four decades, OCP has been a long standing partner to Indian farmers. In 2025, OCP Nutricrops is supplying more than 2.5 mt of phosphatic fertilizers to help farmers raise productivity and strengthen the nation’s food and fertilizer security,” said Youssef El Bari, CEO of OCP Nutricrops.
The OCP group is now focussing more on customised fertilisers rather than exporting rock phosphate, which is the key raw material to produce di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). The company has also been promoting its triple super phosphate (TSP) as a better alternative, though it is hesitant to openly say this since it also manufacture DAP.
After its success (in customised product) in Nigeria and Ethiopia, the OCP group is engaged in local projects to establish similar blending units and operations in Rwanda while it is open to do similar projects in other countries, company sources said. In Morocco, OCP has launched a pilot for a ‘smart blender,’ which uses advanced technology to improve the efficiency and precision of the process.
“Customised fertilization represents the future of sustainable agriculture. By tailoring the nutrients’ use to the specific needs of each crop, crop cycle, soil and region, we help farmers use inputs more efficiently while protecting soil fertility and the environment,” El Bari said. This helps reduce loss of nutrients and leave a positive impact on the soils, he added.
Predicting that India’s next productivity gains will come from healthier soils, he said OCP has been working with over 22,000 farmers in Karnataka and Rajasthan and the results from the projects show that scientifically guided soil nutrition boosted resilience, improved crop performance and raised farm incomes.
“India’s diverse soils need balanced, crop-specific nutrition, not one-size-fits-all solutions. For pulses and other legumes, precise phosphorus delivery is essential, especially as the country advances its ‘Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ mission,” he said.
On TSP, which contains 46 per cent phosphorus and 15 per cent calcium, El Bari said that farmers can customize the nutrient rate to get stronger root development, better yields and more efficient and balanced use of every input, while avoiding nitrogen losses.
OCP has 28 per cent stake in Paradeep Phosphates (PPL), and also has a joint venture with Chambal Fertilisers for producing phosphoric acid, and sustained supply agreements with leading Indian fertilizer companies such as IPL, PPL, HURL, RCF, NFL and FACT.
(The author was recently in Morocco at the invitation of OCP group)
Published on December 5, 2025
