According to government figures, India's fertiliser production fell by almost a quarter in March as a result of the Middle East conflict's impact on natural gas imports.The manufacturing of urea, a vital component of the vital fertilisers needed by India's extensive agricultural industry, is powered by natural gas, making it extremely vulnerable to fluctuations in the world's energy prices.
The decline occurred after the United States and Israel began their attack on Iran on February 28, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital conduit for petroleum supplies and inputs related to fertiliser.A third of the world's fertilisers typically pass through the river, and the disruption has led to several alerts over the potential effects on food production.
In India, the most populated country in the world, almost 45% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, despite the fact that individual farms are small and frequently unprofitable.In a statement released late on Monday, the Ministry of Commerce stated that fertiliser production fell by 24.6 percent in March 2026 compared to March 2025.
The decline followed increases in output of 3.4 percent in February, 3.7 percent in January, and 4.1 percent in December 2025.The Ministry of Petroleum in India has maintained that "sourcing of fertilisers being diversified across multiple countries" and that "adequate stocks of fertilisers available" exist.

The Kharif sowing season, which occurs in June and July before the monsoon rains, and the Rabi season, which occurs in October and November for the sowing of winter crops, are when India's fertiliser consumption peaks.
India increased fertiliser subsidies by 11% earlier in April to shield farmers from skyrocketing costs.
In addition to urea, India depends on imports for raw minerals like potash, phosphoric acid, and rock phosphate, which are essential ingredients in fertilisers.
The World Trade Organization cautioned last month that the Middle East conflict's disruptions to fertiliser supplies represent a twofold threat to the world's food security.