Goyal pushes for diversified fertiliser sourcing, eyes ₹20 trillion farm exports
'India must ensure it is not overly dependent on any one country for inputs essential to our agricultural economy,' Goyal said at an event on Wednesday.
Goyal's remarks follow Beijing's move to tighten shipments of phosphatic materials, including Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), which is India's second-most consumed fertiliser after urea.
India, which relies heavily on imports to meet its fertiliser demand, sources a significant share of DAP and phosphate-based raw materials from China. The sudden export restrictions have pushed up global prices and strained availability, prompting the government to explore alternative sourcing strategies and promote domestic production capacities.
Goyal, addressing industry stakeholders, said the fertiliser sector must diversify its sources and invest in long-term supply partnerships with other mineral-rich countries. 'The government is committed to supporting industries in identifying alternative global sources and promoting indigenous capabilities,' he added.
According to trade data, India imported over 2.5 million tonnes of DAP in FY25, with a significant portion coming from China and West Asian countries. The current disruptions have sparked fears of rising input costs ahead of the upcoming sowing season, especially in eastern and central India where DAP use is widespread for kharif crops such as paddy, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, among others.
Goyal also said that India's agriculture and fisheries exports, which currently stand at ₹ 4.5 trillion, have the potential to grow to ₹ 20 trillion with a sharper focus on food processing, better branding, and improved packaging standards. The minister urged stakeholders to work towards making drip irrigation a mass movement to enhance farm productivity and strengthen climate resilience. 'India's agricultural exports can quadruple if we modernise processing and ensure global quality standards in packaging and branding,' he added.
This is not the first time that China has blocked key ingredients for fertiliser production. In 2014, as reported by Mint on 4 December, Chinese supply curbs and broader global disruptions dragged down both production and imports of essential fertilisers, raising concerns over India's crop yields and farm incomes.
China has increasingly diverted fertilisers and raw materials to meet its own domestic demand, posing a recurring challenge for Indian fertiliser manufacturers.
'With agriculture being India's largest employment sector, insufficient soil nutrients due to disrupted fertiliser supplies could impact crop yields, hit rural incomes, and weigh on the broader economy,' said Abhash Kumar, a trade economist.
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The Hindu
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