Punjab witnessed widespread protests by farmers on June 8 over an alleged shortage of urea fertilizer, a critical input for the ongoing paddy season. However, in response to the agitation, the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has asserted that Punjab has adequate urea stocks and that the Centre has maintained a strong supply pipeline to meet the state's Kharif 2026 requirements.
Clarification from the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Department of Fertilizers (DoF) stated that Punjab's urea inventory remains comfortably above requirements. According to official data, Punjab's total urea requirement for the Kharif 2026 season has been estimated at 14.50 lakh metric tonnes (LMT). Against a pro-rata requirement of 9.0 LMT up to June 9, the Centre claims to have ensured total availability of 10.71 LMT.
Out of this quantity, actual urea sales in the state have reached 6.25 LMT, leaving a closing stock of 4.46 LMT readily available for farmers. In addition, another 39,167 metric tonnes, equivalent to 0.39 LMT, is currently in transit to Punjab and expected to reach distribution points shortly.
The Centre further pointed out that paddy transplantation has not yet fully commenced across the state and that existing stocks are sufficient to meet current demand. In Amritsar district alone, total urea availability during the Kharif season has reached 64,720 metric tonnes, with a balance stock of nearly 33,000 metric tonnes still available.
Officials attribute the healthy stock position to aggressive pre-positioning efforts undertaken before the start of the Kharif season. Between January and March 2026, Punjab's estimated requirement was 3.50 LMT, but the Department supplied 6.08 LMT, creating an additional buffer of 2.58 LMT ahead of peak demand months.
Data also show that urea consumption has increased significantly this year. Between March 1 and June 9, 2026, urea sales in Punjab touched 7.86 LMT, compared with 7.10 LMT during the corresponding period last year, reflecting an increase of 0.76 LMT.
The trend follows an unusually high offtake during the Rabi 2025-26 season. Against a projected requirement of 15 LMT, the Centre ensured availability of 19.43 LMT. Actual sales during the season reached 15.45 LMT, exceeding initial projections by 45,000 metric tonnes.
Farmers' agitation over shortage of urea
The protests, organised by the All India Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (AIKMM), were held across 74 locations in 22 districts of Punjab as part of a nationwide campaign covering five states. Farmer leaders alleged that urea was either unavailable or being sold through black-marketing channels at inflated prices. They also accused some fertilizer dealers of compelling farmers to purchase nano urea as a precondition for obtaining conventional urea.
During the agitation, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that cultivators were facing difficulties in securing adequate quantities of urea despite the commencement of paddy transplantation in several districts. He demanded immediate government intervention to ensure the availability of subsidised fertilizer at fair prices.
The agitation came at a time when concerns over fertilizer supplies have intensified due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has raised apprehensions about disruptions in global fertilizer and energy markets, prompting farmers to seek assurances regarding timely fertilizer availability.
Farmers going to multiple dealers in search of urea
While the state's current stock levels appear adequate on paper, distribution bottlenecks at the local level can create temporary shortages, particularly during the peak transplantation period. Farmers have reported travelling to multiple dealers in search of fertilizer, suggesting that availability at retail outlets may not always reflect overall state inventories.
With paddy cultivated on nearly 30 lakh hectares in Punjab and requiring approximately 15 lakh tonnes of urea during the season, ensuring smooth last-mile distribution will be critical. The Centre and the state government are expected to closely monitor supplies in the coming weeks as transplantation activity accelerates across the state's major rice-growing districts.