Govt assures gas supply to fertilizer plants amid West Asia crisis

• The government issued the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 on March 10.

• To ensure that domestic fertilizer production remains unaffected due to the conflict in West Asia, fertilizer plants have been categorised under ‘Priority Sector-2’ for natural gas supply.

• With this order, fertilizer production plants will be provided with at least 70 per cent of their average natural gas consumption based on the last six months.

• This measure aims to safeguard fertilizer production against global supply chain disruptions, particularly the liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply issues caused by the ongoing conflict.

• The priority status ensures that farmers receive fertilizers on time, allowing agricultural activities to continue smoothly despite the global gas supply crisis.

• Proactive preparations have been initiated to ensure that political instability in West Asia does not adversely impact the upcoming Kharif sowing season in India.

Fertilizer reserves and buffer stock

• The Department of Fertilizers has assured farmers that despite disruptions in maritime transport and cargo ship movements, India maintains a sufficient inventory of fertilizers.

• An aggressive strategy of advance stocking during low-consumption phases has resulted in a massive buffer stock.

• Ahead of the Kharif season, India’s total fertilizer reserve has reached 180.12 lakh metric tonnes (LMT).

• This represents a 36.6 per cent increase compared to the 131.79 LMT recorded during the same period in 2025.

• This surge is primarily driven by an unprecedented increase in critical soil nutrients, specifically Diammonium Phosphate (25.17 LMT) and Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (56.30 LMT).

• The availability of urea, the most consumed fertilizer in the country, has risen to 61.51 LMT.

• On the import front, the government has brought in 98 lakh tonnes of urea as of February 2026, with an additional 17 lakh tonnes in the pipeline over the next three months.