According to Dr. Ajay Sahai, the head of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), Russia has emerged as the top supplier of mineral fertilizers to India.
In the fiscal year 2022-2023, Russian fertilizer exports to New Delhi exceeded $3 billion. Dr. Sahai highlighted that Russia holds the leading position in fertilizer shipments, followed by China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Morocco.
Notably, Saudi Arabia and China each accounted for around $2 billion in shipments. The fertilizers imported from Russia to India include nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, ammonium phosphates, and urea.
Dr. Sahai further emphasized that Russia provides competitive prices for its products, contributing to its prominence in the Indian market.
India, being an agrarian nation and one of the largest consumers of agricultural fertilizers globally, heavily relies on imports to meet its fertilizer demands.
In the period of April-February 2022-2023, India imported a record-breaking volume of 34 million tons of fertilizers from Russia, as reported by the Ministry of Chemical Industries and Fertilizers.
Russia, with a remarkable 40% increase in fertilizer production over the past decade, now averages 55 million tons annually.
Andrey Guryev, the head of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers, stated that this surge in output has elevated Russia to the position of the world’s second-largest producer of nutrients, trailing only behind China.
Guryev further outlined plans to raise Russia’s production to 70 million tons within the next five years.
The growth in Russia’s fertilizer production has positioned it ahead of both the United States and India in terms of overall production capacity, solidifying its status as a major player in the global fertilizer market.
