India-bound fertilizer ships cross Hormuz, government says

Mumbai: Four cargo ships carrying ​urea, di-ammonium ​phosphate and sulphur crossed the ​Strait of Hormuz last week and were headed to ports in India, boosting the country's ‌fertilizer ⁠stocks, the ⁠Indian government said in a statement ​on Monday.

Last week, India said 16 India-bound ships ​carrying fertiliser were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz with about 700,000 ​tons on board.

To ⁠meet the ‌local demand for the ​summer ​crop season, India has already ⁠imported 5 million tons of crop ​nutrients, including urea, apart from ​boosting local output, a government official said last week.


India imports fertilisers, such as urea and DAP, as well as liquefied natural gas, ‌a key feedstock for urea production, and is one of ​the world's ​largest fertiliser ⁠importers.

The ships, which are headed to the Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep, and Mundra ports, ​crossed the strait last week, the statement said.

India's cumulative fertiliser stock stands at 19.60 million metric tons, the statement said.