News

Opinion

Editorials

In fertiliser sales dip, a lesson for policymakers

It calls for a fundamental reordering of the current inefficient subsidy regime and fiscal priorities. That’s a political, more than an economic, challenge.

For the government, the immediate options are to permit duty-free imports of pulses (including masoor, chana and yellow peas), raw sugar and cotton till March 31.

3 min read Nov 2, 2026 07:26 AM IST First published on: Nov 2, 2026 at 06:00 AM IST

Sales of all fertilisers are down in April-September compared to the same period of 2025. That includes urea, the most widely used and cheapest fertiliser. The drop in sales — despite higher year-on-year production and imports — is a clear indication of subdued farmer demand because of the El Niño-induced dry weather conditions.…