NEW DELHI: India is in talks with Saudi Arabia to secure more fertilizer from the Kingdom, as the South Asian nation faces increasing pressure from disruption caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
India, the world’s second-largest fertilizer consumer after China, uses more than 60 million tons annually. The country’s domestic production of urea, which accounts for over half its total fertilizer consumption, has been impacted since shipping routes were disrupted by the war in the Middle East.
The Gulf region is a key source of India’s fertilizer imports, accounting for up to 30 percent of urea, about 30 percent of phosphate fertilizer DAP, and nearly 50 percent of liquified natural gas, a key raw material for fertilizer production.
Earlier this week, India’s Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef held a virtual meeting to discuss the issue.
“In view of evolving global challenges and disruptions in West Asia, India has taken proactive steps to ensure the stability and continuity of fertilizer supplies for our farmers,” Nadda said after the talks.
