‘India exploring alternate destinations for fertilisers if West Asia conflict prolongs’: Agri commissioner

NEW DELHI: India is actively securing alternative suppliers for essential fertilisers and raw materials, such as rock phosphate and sulphur, to mitigate potential shortages if the West Asia conflict persists. Agriculture Commissioner PK Singh on Wednesday said that there is currently no disruption to fertiliser supplies.

“The country is making arrangements and efforts to explore more alternative destinations to import LNG. It’s a kind of pre-emptive measure in case the war goes on for a longer period. Advisories are also being issued to farmers for the wise use of fertilisers,” Singh said on the sidelines of a soil health event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in New Delhi.

Over 40 per cent of India’s urea and phosphatic fertilisers, along with significant rock phosphate and phosphoric acid, are sourced from the West Asia/Middle East region.

Asked whether the ongoing tensions in West Asia could impact imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a key feedstock for fertiliser production, Singh said the country was not facing any immediate concerns. “No, there is nothing like that yet,” he said. “But if this war goes on for a long time, then we will see what to do. Otherwise, the system is being made, and there will be a system to make manure from other sources.”

“India is also relying on domestic fertiliser production to ensure supply stability. It is not a problem because a lot of urea production is also happening in India, he said. He said farmers would also need to adopt balanced fertiliser use and follow recommended nutrient dosages to avoid soil degradation and maintain productivity.

“If we follow the recommended dosage, then there will be no problem. Farmers will have to use a balanced system,” he said. Singh was speaking at an event focused on agriculture, food and health, where experts discussed the growing issue of declining soil fertility across India.

“Farmers also understand that soil fertility is decreasing,” Singh said. “They have to use more manure, but there is always a shortage of manure. As much as is needed is not available.” He said fertiliser usage often becomes imbalanced because farmers do not always have access to the specific nutrients required for different crops.

“If you are growing pulses, you need other types of manure. If you don’t get it, you have to use some other manure,” Singh said. “Similarly, cereals and horticulture crops all have different requirements. The decline in soil organic carbon is also affecting nutrient availability in farmland, he said.

“People say that organic carbon is decreasing in the soil, so there is a problem in the availability of all nutrients,” Singh said. To address this, the government is focusing on improved irrigation management, watershed management and convergence of soil and water conservation programmes.

“Our irrigation management, watershed management, and how to converge all these programmes and prepare a complete system,” he said. Singh also said India’s natural farming mission could help sustain productivity during supply disruptions, citing the resilience of agriculture during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“When there was a shortage of supplies during the corona period, there was no shortage of productivity,” he said. On agricultural trade, Singh said exports to the Middle East were unlikely to face major disruptions. “The major export of rice, especially basmati rice, is out of season, and there has been a lot of export,” he said. “There is no such disruption. It is just a matter of time in the supply chain. Otherwise, the demand from there will not decrease”. (ANI)