Congestion at several major Indian ports has left multiple fertiliser-laden vessels stranded, delaying the discharge and inland movement of essential crop nutrients at a crucial stage of the ongoing kharif sowing season.
The bottlenecks come as kharif planting has accelerated significantly following the revival of monsoon rains in early July, raising concerns over the timely availability of fertilisers, particularly di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), for farmers across the country.
According to industry officials, congestion has affected key ports including Deendayal Port (Kandla), Mundra Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva), and Chennai Port. The situation has been exacerbated by vessel rerouting caused by geopolitical tensions in West Asia, monsoon-related operational disruptions, heavy cargo movement across the hinterland, and shortages of trailers and railway rakes.
“Sowing has picked up sharply over the past week, and any delay in fertiliser dispatch could disrupt distribution,” a senior executive at a fertiliser company said.
He added that one vessel carrying approximately 60,000 tonnes of DAP/NPK fertilisers and another transporting 7,000 tonnes of urea have been waiting for berthing at Deendayal Port since arriving on July 14.
Another executive from a leading fertiliser company said the delays were resulting in the loss of valuable time needed for distributing critical fertilisers during the peak sowing window.
“Port congestion, shortage of railway rakes and broader supply chain disruptions linked to the West Asia crisis are slowing deliveries,” the executive said.
A third industry official stressed the need to address inland logistics constraints before they further aggravate the situation.
“We must not allow inland logistics bottlenecks to worsen an already challenging supply environment,” the executive noted.
Kharif Sowing Gains Momentum
The disruption comes at a particularly sensitive time for Indian agriculture.
Following improved rainfall during the first half of July, kharif sowing has gathered pace. Government data shows that by July 17, the sown area had reached nearly 60% of the normal level, compared with 48% on July 10 and 32% on July 5.
Although the total acreage remains around 6% lower than the corresponding period last year, the recent improvement has strengthened expectations of a recovery after an uneven start to the southwest monsoon.
Industry experts note that DAP must be applied at the time of sowing, making timely deliveries critical for maintaining crop productivity.
West Asia Crisis Continues to Impact Fertiliser Supply
The supply chain disruptions trace back to the conflict involving Iran, which severely affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
The waterway is particularly significant for India, as West Asia remains the country’s largest supplier of finished fertilisers and key raw materials such as ammonia and sulphur, both essential for the production of phosphatic fertilisers.
The disruptions also affected imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), leading to reduced domestic urea production during March and April—the period when India typically builds fertiliser inventories ahead of the monsoon season.
To safeguard supplies, the Government of India arranged additional LNG cargoes and floated three global tenders for urea imports.
Although shipping through the Strait of Hormuz briefly resumed following the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire, renewed disruptions have once again created uncertainty over cargo movements.
DAP Supply Remains Under Pressure
Industry executives indicated that urea availability remains adequate for the current kharif season. However, supplies of DAP and other phosphatic fertilisers continue to remain tight due to limited global availability of ammonia and sulphur.
They cautioned that the phosphatic fertiliser market is likely to remain under pressure until supply chains across West Asia stabilise and maritime logistics return to normal.
With kharif sowing entering a critical phase, industry stakeholders have urged authorities to expedite vessel berthing, improve cargo evacuation and strengthen inland logistics to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser availability for farmers.
