Fertiliser Stocks Comfortable for Rabi Sowing, but Sowing Lags Behind Last Year
India has comfortable fertiliser stocks as farmers start sowing their rabi (winter) crops. As of 3 November 2026, 21.5 million tonnes (mt) of fertilisers were available, against the 8.7 mt the season needed by that date.
Farmers had taken 5.3 mt so far, leaving 16.2 mt in stock. The total fertiliser need for the whole rabi season is estimated at 35 mt.
Stocks were above the "pro-rata" requirement (the amount farmers are expected to use by a given date) for all four main types: urea, DAP (di-ammonium phosphate), MOP (muriate of potash) and NPKS (mixed fertilisers).
Some experts reported local shortages of sulphur and phosphorus fertilisers at the ground level, and said distribution must be watched closely.
Rabi sowing was well behind last year: 3.75 million hectares as on 30 October 2026, against 6.9 million hectares a year earlier. Oilseeds (especially rapeseed and mustard) and pulses saw the biggest fall.
The Department of Fertilizers' subsidy bill crossed ₹2.17 lakh crore in FY26. The budget for the current year (FY27) is ₹1.77 lakh crore.
Cropping Seasons in India: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid
India grows crops in three main seasons: kharif, rabi and zaid. Kharif crops are sown with the start of the southwest monsoon and harvested in autumn. Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in spring. Zaid is a short summer season in between. Which crop grows in which season depends mainly on temperature, rainfall and the availability of water.
The fertiliser stock check of 3 November 2026 was made against the needs of the rabi 2026-27 season, now in its sowing stage. Rabi sowing at 3.75 million hectares on 30 October was far behind last year's 6.9 million hectares, with oilseeds and pulses hit the most, so timely fertiliser supply matters even more as sowing picks up.
Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme
The Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme is the system India uses to give subsidy on fertilisers other than urea, mainly phosphatic (P) and potassic (K) fertilisers like DAP, MOP and NPK mixes. Under it, the government fixes a subsidy per kilogram of each nutrient: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potash (K) and sulphur (S). Companies are then free to set the retail price, within the government's oversight. The aim is to encourage balanced use of all nutrients, not just nitrogen.
DAP, MOP and NPKS are all covered by NBS. Their stocks were well above the pro-rata need, but local shortages of phosphorus and sulphur fertilisers show that national stocks do not always reach every village on time.
Urea Subsidy Scheme: How India Keeps Urea Cheap
Urea is the most used fertiliser in India. It gives plants nitrogen. The government fixes its retail price by law and pays companies the difference between the cost of making or importing urea and this low fixed price. This keeps urea very cheap for farmers, but it has also led to overuse compared with other nutrients.
Urea, the largest-selling fertiliser, had the biggest cushion this rabi season. The DBT sales data used in the stock check comes from the same PoS system that triggers the subsidy payment.
- Total fertiliser availability (3 November 2026): 21.5 mt against pro-rata need of 8.7 mt; 5.3 mt sold; 16.2 mt in stock
- Total rabi 2026-27 fertiliser requirement: 35 mt
- Urea: seasonal need 19.9 mt; availability 10.75 mt vs pro-rata 4.25 mt
- DAP: seasonal need 5.5 mt; availability 3.87 mt vs pro-rata 2.05 mt
- MOP: seasonal need 1.64 mt; availability 1.3 mt vs pro-rata 0.37 mt
- NPKS: seasonal need 7.9 mt; availability 5.53 mt vs pro-rata 2.03 mt
- DBT sales: urea 2.58 mt, DAP 1.70 mt, NPKS 0.793 mt, MOP 0.222 mt
- Rabi sowing (30 October 2026): 3.75 million hectares vs 6.9 million hectares a year earlier
- Oilseeds area: 2.1 million hectares (down 1.76 million hectares); pulses: 0.945 million hectares (down 1.0 million hectares); wheat: 19,000 hectares vs 334,000 hectares
- Fertiliser subsidy: over ₹2.17 lakh crore in FY26; ₹1.77 lakh crore budgeted for FY27
- According to a recent report, India is the world's second-largest consumer of fertilisers and the largest importer of urea