India’s fertilizer sales down in July on dipping kharif sowing area and deficient monsoon
The fall in sales raises fears of a drop in kharif production, while farmers may lose yield if they go for late sowing of crops
Fertilizer sales in India experienced a decline in July 2026, with a 13% decrease in overall production compared to the same period last year. This drop was primarily attributed to the reduced kharif sowing area and deficient monsoon rainfall. The total area under kharif crops was reported lower this year, although the deficit had decreased to less than 2%.
Farmers may face a loss in crop yield even with late sowing attempts, as districts receiving less than 60% of the required rainfall may not be able to compensate for the drop in production. The outlook for the next 20 days also does not indicate a significant enough recovery to offset the losses. Urea sales decreased by 9% to 49.28 lakh tonnes, DAP sales fell by 1.4% to 10.7 lt, MOP sales dropped by 21% to 1.95 lt, and complex sales declined by 29% to 15.51 lt. Despite the overall decline, DAP sales remained relatively stable at nearly 27 lt. Experts suggest that delayed sowing could be made up if the acreage matches that of the previous year.
However, timely planting is highly critical for achieving desired production. The erratic rainfall and delayed sowing may have influenced farmers' decisions on fertilizer usage.
Written by urgent.news from Hindu BusinessLine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
