Massive Urea Imports of 7.17 Million Tonnes in April-November

08-Jan-2026 08:41 PM

New Delhi: Due to a decline in domestic production, the total import of urea in the country surged to 7.17 million tonnes during the first eight months of the current financial year, April-November 2025, more than double the imports during the same period of the previous financial year.

This clearly indicates an increased reliance on imports to meet the continuously growing demand from farmers in the domestic market.

Data from the Fertilizer Association of India shows that only 3.26 million tonnes of urea were imported into the country during the eight months of April-November 2024.

On the other hand, domestic urea production declined by 3.7 percent to 19.75 million tonnes during the same period.

The association's data also shows that overall urea sales increased by 2.3 percent to 25.4 million tonnes during this period.

The period between April and November includes the sowing of both Kharif and Rabi crops, and therefore, this time is considered the peak season for urea consumption.

The association's chairman stated that although the increased demand and need for urea were met through planned strategies, the dependence on imports has increased excessively.

Along with urea, the import of DAP fertilizer has also increased. Considering this, there is a need to further strengthen strategic supply chain management.

In November 2024, 780,000 tonnes of urea were imported, while in November 2025, imports surged by 68 percent to 1.31 million tonnes.

Domestic urea sales also increased by 4.8 percent to 3.75 million tonnes during this period. Demand for urea increased significantly in November due to the sowing of Rabi crops, especially wheat.