Urea sales during April–December 2025 increased 3.8 per cent to 31.16 million tonnes (mt), compared with 30.02 mt in the corresponding period last year, the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) on Wednesday said in a statement. With the domestic urea production during the period sliding 3 per cent to 22.44 mt, imports rose 85.3 per cent to 8 mt.
Urea is the key fertiliser for the small and marginal farmers since it is heavily subsidised and sold at Rs 267/bag (of 45 kg), compared with di ammonium phosphate (DAP) at Rs 1,350/bag (of 50 kg), and both complex (in combination of N, P, K nutrients) and muriate of potash (MOP) at over Rs 1,500/bag (of 50 kg).
Import of complex fertilisers rose 121.8 per cent to 3.29 mt despite its production increasing 13.1 per cent to 9.27 mt and sales largely stable at 11.74 mt, the data showed.
More balanced fertilisation
“The April-December 2025 data show how the fertiliser sector has worked to keep nutrients available through a balance of domestic production and calibrated imports,” FAI Chairman S Sankarasubramanian said.
According to Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General of FAI, the evolving nutrient mix reflected in the data underscores a gradual shift towards more balanced fertilisation practices. As fertiliser planning continues through the remainder of the Rabi season, sustained focus on aligning nitrogen, phosphatic and potassic nutrients with crop and soil needs will remain central to ensuring efficient fertiliser use, he added.
The much sought after DAP’s domestic production during the first three quarters of current fiscal recorded at 3.03 mt, down by 3.9 per cent, compared with the year-ago period, while imports increased 45.7 per cent to 5.95 mt. On the other hand, sales of DAP reported to be 8 mt, compared with 8.33 mt, down by 4.1 per cent.
Curbs on DAP exports
Industry sources said that since the supplying countries are increasingly restricting sales of DAP’s key raw material rock phosphates and insisting on selling finished products, it is a challenge to run the production facilities.
On the other hand, sales of MOP, which are 100 per cent import dependent, increased 5.3 per cent to 1.77 mt, even as imports declined 22.4 per cent to 2.14 mt. Single Super Phosphate (SSP) production increased 10.3 per cent to 4.43 mt, its sales rose 13.1 per cent to 4.71 mt .
The association has said that coordinated production planning, calibrated imports and the strengthening of indigenous nutrient options together support the objective of balanced fertilisation.
Published on January 28, 2026
