2nd global tender issued for 70 lakh tonnes of urea imports

The Government has issued a second global tender for the import of 17 lakh tonne of urea despite a sharp rise in global prices to boost domestic supplies for the kharif season, a senior Fertiliser Ministry official said on Monday.

The global price of urea has increased from $447 per tonne in February to 947 per tonne now, said Aparna S Sharma, additional secretary in the Fertiliser Ministry, during the inter-ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia.

The country has secured 25 lakh tonne of urea and 50 lakh tonne of DAP from sources outside the Strait of Hormuz, with arrivals expected in June-July.

“We have also issued a global tender for 17 lakh tonne of urea, which is in progress. This is the second tender for the kharif season. The price in the global tender is yet to be discovered,” Sharma said.

The domestic fertiliser production stood at 104.81 lakh tonne amid the West Asia crisis, while imports were 27.62 lakh tonne, taking total additions to availability to approximately 132.43 lakh tonne.

Factoring in the El Nino outlook, the agriculture ministry has revised fertiliser demand estimates downward in consultation with state governments.

Urea demand for the kharif 2026-27 season is pegged at 194 lakh tonne, lower by 4 lakh tonne, while di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) demand has been cut by 6 lakh tonne to 60 lakh tonne, she added.

Kharif (summer) sowing has just begun in some parts of India, but it is still in the very early stages. Farmers have started preparing fields for early sowing (especially of short-duration crops like pulses, coarse cereals, and some cotton) in regions that have received pre-monsoon rains.