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India is seeking offers from global suppliers to buy 1.7 million tons of urea, a widely used nitrogen fertilizer, ahead of the monsoon sowing season, as the Middle East conflict disrupted gas supplies for domestic output.National Fertilizers Ltd., a state-run producer that also imports the crop nutrient for the government, issued a tender to buy 900,000 tons through the country’s west coast, and the remaining volume via the east coast, according to a notice posted on its website on Wednesday. The shipments should leave the loading port by July 20, it said. India regularly purchases urea through global tenders to meet local demand. The latest tender is the second since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The purchase plan comes ahead of the new sowing season, with plantings of key crops including rice, corn and soybeans set to begin next month.Urea production in the world’s largest importer depends heavily on natural gas, much of which is imported from the Middle East and used to produce ammonia, a key feedstock. But tighter LNG supplies following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz forced some South Asian producers to shut plants in March, curbing output.Global urea prices have surged since the start of the conflict, as nearly 45% of global supplies transiting through the Persian Gulf. India bought 2.5 million tons in its previous tender at prices nearly double pre-conflict levels.India requires about 39 million tons of fertilizer for crops grown during the June-September rainy season, according to the fertilizer ministry. Current inventories stand at about 20 million tons, the ministry said.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comPublished on May 27, 2026
