Fertilizer availability comfortable for <i>rabi </i>sowing, stock position exceeds requirement across key nutrients

Fertilizer stocks are ample as farmers start sowing their rabi, or winter, crops, two people familiar with the latest figures said.

As of 3 November, 21.5 million tonnes were available, against the 8.7 million tonnes (mt) the season would require by that date. Farmers have taken 5.3mt so far, which leaves 16.2mt in stock. The major fertilizers used in India are urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), and NPKS.

The total fertilizer requirement for the rabi season is estimated at 35mt.

That cushion is important in a country which is the world’s second-largest consumer of fertiliser and the largest importer of the most widely used type, urea.

Still, there are hurdles: an agricultural economist has said that some areas are experiencing shortfalls in sulphur and phosphorus fertilizers. Winter sowing is also well behind last year.

• India holds 21.5 million tonnes of fertiliser stocks against early seasonal requirements.
• Urea availability is 2.5 times the early target of 10.75 mt.
• Localized shortages of sulphur and phosphorus inputs persist despite healthy national reserves.
• Total winter crop sowing trails last year's pace by 3.15 million hectares.
• Annual government fertiliser subsidy spending crossed ₹2.17 trillion, exceeding initial budget targets.

An email query sent to the Department of Fertilizers remained unanswered till press time.

“Urea, the most widely consumed fertilizer in Indian agriculture, has a seasonal requirement of 19.9mt for Rabi 2026-27. Against the pro-rata requirement of 4.25mt, availability stands at 10.75mt,” said the first person cited above. This represents stocks exceeding 2.5 times the calculated requirement, providing a substantial supply cushion during the ongoing sowing season.

Pro rata is the amount of the season’s fertilizer that farmers would be expected to use by a given date.

Robust stocks

The availability position is also comfortable for DAP, a key source of phosphorus for major rabi crops. Against a seasonal requirement of 5.5mt, the pro-rata requirement up to 3 November was 2.05mt. Reported availability stood at 3.87mt, nearly 1.9 times the requirement.

“MOP stocks have also remained above the calculated requirement. Against a seasonal requirement of 1.64mt, the pro-rata requirement was 370,000mt, while availability stood at 1.3mt,” said the second person cited above. This is more than three times the requirement for the period.

Similarly, NPKS availability stood at 5.53mt against a pro-rata requirement of 2.03mt. The seasonal requirement for the category has been assessed at 7.9mt.

Stocks exceed the pro-rata need across all four categories, most notably in potash and urea.

The cumulative Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) sales figures also indicate fertilizer movement during the period. Urea recorded the highest sales at 2.58mt, followed by DAP at 1.70mt, NPKS at 793,000 tonnes, and MOP at 222,000 tonnes. These figures reflect differences in the consumption patterns and nutrient requirements of crops during the Rabi season.

Overall, the 3 November assessment presents a reassuring picture of fertilizer availability for Rabi 2026-27.

“The overall fertilizer availability remains adequate to meet the needs of the ongoing rabi season,” said Puneet Singh Thind, founder and director, Northern Farmers Mega FPO, a federation of farmer-producer organizations from five North Indian states. “However, continued monitoring of distribution and DBT sales will be important to ensure timely availability across regions and sustain the current comfortable supply position as crop nutrient demand rises in the coming weeks.”

Sales, shortages and sowing

Experts noted reports of localized shortages. “While the overall availability of fertilizers remains adequate, there are some reports of localized shortages of sulphur- and phosphorus-based fertilizers at the ground level, which should be looked into,” said Shweta Saini, agriculture economist and founder and chief executive of Delhi-based Arcus Policy Research.

Meanwhile, Rabi crop sowing across India stood at 3.75 million hectares as on 30 October, compared with 6.9 million hectares during the corresponding period last year, marking a decline of 3.15 million hectares.

The shortfall was led by oilseeds, whose coverage fell by 1.76 million hectares to 2.1 million hectares, largely due to a sharp decline in rapeseed and mustard sowing. Pulses acreage dropped by 1.0 million hectares to 945,000 hectares, while coarse cereals declined by 44,000 hectares. Wheat coverage remained significantly lower at 19,000 hectares against 334,000 hectares a year.

Fertilizer subsidy remains one of the largest components of the government’s support to the farm sector, with the department’s bill crossing ₹2.17 trillion in FY26. The government had budgeted for a ₹1.77 trillion fertilizer subsidy bill for the current fiscal year.