Four fertilizer ships clear Hormuz, pushing India’s kharif stocks 16% above last year

Four cargo vessels carrying urea, diammonium phosphate and sulphur from the Persian Gulf have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are heading to major Indian ports, India’s Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said on June 23.

The ships are bound for Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep and Mundra — representing the first fertilizer cargoes to transit the strait since the U.S.-Iran conflict began disrupting shipping in late February. The government said the passage was made possible following coordination mechanisms established under the recent U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

India’s total fertilizer stocks stood at 196.08 lakh tonnes as of June 22, up 16% from 168.67 lakh tonnes at the same point last year. Urea inventory rose to 81.44 lakh tonnes from 69.21 lakh tonnes, while DAP stocks climbed to 20.92 lakh tonnes from 16 lakh tonnes and NPKs reached 55.91 lakh tonnes.

The government has contracted 17.70 lakh tonnes of urea under its latest global tender evaluation, taking total secured imports of urea and P&K fertilizers for kharif 2026 to over 90 lakh tonnes. Procurement was coordinated through 28 Indian missions abroad, diversifying sourcing across 11 countries including Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia and Egypt for urea, and Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. for DAP and NPK. Fertilizer sales between March 1 and June 21 reached 153.4 lakh tonnes, up 13.2 lakh tonnes year on year.

Source: Central Chronicle