West Asia War fallout: Fertiliser supply crunch drives shift to alternatives, prices jump up to 20%

Farmers are gradually responding to the shift by considering more economical NPK combinations

The ongoing supply crunch triggered by the escalating conflict in West Asia has led to a rise in enquiries for alternative soil nutrients, including micronutrients and speciality fertilisers, even as on-ground farm demand remains largely steady, an Economic Times report said on Tuesday.

Import-related disruptions are affecting both the availability and pricing of several speciality fertilisers and packaging materials, Rajib Chakraborty, president of the Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association, told The Economic Times.

Prices of imported inputs such as mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP), mono-potassium phosphate (MKP), PON, SOP, calcium nitrate and other water-soluble nutrients have surged by up to 20%, prompting domestic manufacturers to ramp up production, The Economic Times reported.

Iran War News Live: Tanker in Gulf of Oman hit by projectile; Israeli army says begun strikes on Tehran, Beirut

Farmers are gradually responding to the shift by considering more economical NPK combinations, Chakraborty said in comments to The Economic Times. He added that similar disruptions in the past have encouraged a psychological tilt towards domestically produced goods, a trend that could strengthen local manufacturing again under current conditions.

Dealers and distributors are also increasing their inventories of these alternatives as a safeguard against potential price swings or supply constraints in traditional fertilisers such as urea and DAP, The Economic Times highlighted.