In what could be a real indicator of deficient rains and the El Nino effect on farms, domestic sales of all fertilisers, including urea, are down compared to last year.

The sales drop during April-September 2026 over April-September 2025 — roughly coinciding with the kharif (monsoon) planting season — has been the sharpest at 22.2% for complex fertilisers containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) in different ratios, followed by 11.7% for muriate of potash (MOP).

The declines have been much lower, at 0.6% and 1.4% respectively, for di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and single super phosphate (SSP).

A more significant fallout, reflective of subdued farmer offtake from the El Niño-induced dry weather conditions, is that of urea.

According to data from the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI), both production and imports of this most widely consumed nitrogenous fertiliser during April-September 2026 have been 4.3% and 40.5% higher relative to their corresponding April-September 2025…