As farmers are facing difficulties in the availability of fertilisers like DAP and urea in many parts of the country, this issue is echoing in the monsoon session of Parliament. More than 20 MPs of the country have raised questions in Parliament about issues related to fertilizers. Several MPs sought information about the availability and supply of fertilizers in their state and district.
The matter drew attention after reports of fertilizer problems emerged from multiple states during the kharif season. Imports of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), the second most used fertilizer in India after urea, from China have decreased sharply.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel confirmed a significant drop in DAP imports from China. She informed the House that India imported 22.28 lakh tonnes of DAP from China in 2023–24, but this fell to around 8.47 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. In July 2025, DAP imports from China stood at just 97,000 tonnes.
The minister attributed this decline in part to China’s imposition of mandatory pre-export inspections on fertilisers, including DAP, since October 2021. These additional regulatory hurdles have disrupted the supply chain and made the export process more cumbersome.
Adding to the challenges, DAP import costs have surged significantly over the past year. This price hike has made imports of DAP unviable for fertiliser companies.
DAP import cost increased
According to the information given by the Union Minister, the cost and freight price of DAP increased from $542 per tonne in April, 2024 to around $800 per tonne in July 2025.
The government clarified that phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilizers like DAP come under the Open General License (OGL). Fertilizer companies are free to import or manufacture them. Several steps have been said to be taken by the government to ensure the availability of fertilizers.
Decline in DAP production
In response to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers JP Nadda presented the figures for the production of major fertilizers in the country during the last five years. The production of DAP in the country has declined during the last three years. In the year 2022-23, 43.47 lakh tonnes of DAP was produced, which decreased to 42.93 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. DAP production further declined in 2024-25 to 37.69 lakh tonnes, which is at the same level as DAP production five years ago.