{"id":72161,"date":"2026-04-24T17:16:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T11:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=72161"},"modified":"2026-04-24T18:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T12:53:20","slug":"persian-gulf-food-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/24-04-2026\/persian-gulf-food-security","title":{"rendered":"Persian Gulf and India\u2019s Food Security"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy; Agriculture; Food Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recent geopolitical tensions (e.g., US-Iran conflict) and restrictions on <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> leads to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-04-2026\/fertiliser-crisis-india\"> supply shortages and <strong>fertiliser inputs<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>flows in India, as it is highly dependent on <strong>Gulf-origin fertilisers.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> is a narrow maritime passage that serves as the <strong>only outlet connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea (and open ocean)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Indian Agricultural &amp; Role of Fertilisers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Agriculture in India is the backbone of the economy that employs nearly 45% workforce.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fertilizers were a key driver of yield increase during the Green Revolution, along with <strong>high-yielding varieties (HYVs), irrigation.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>HYV seeds require <strong>intensive nutrient input, <\/strong>and without fertilisers, HYVs fail to deliver higher yields.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India moved from <strong>food scarcity (1960s)<\/strong> to <strong>food surplus<\/strong> post-Green Revolution and production has shifted from food deficit to <strong>foodgrain surplus.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modern inputs like fertilisers were central to productivity gains and food self-sufficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s food security is largely dependent on <strong>fertiliser imports<\/strong>, particularly from the <strong>Persian Gulf region (West Asia)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Dependency on Persian Gulf Countries for Fertilisers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Nature of Dependency:<\/strong> India is one of the <strong>largest global importers of urea and DAP<\/strong>, with a significant share coming from Gulf countries.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High Import Dependence: <\/strong>Urea (~18%); DAP, phosphatic (~50\u201360%); Potash (<strong>100%)<\/strong> imported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dependence on Raw Materials: <\/strong>Even domestic production relies on imports of natural gas (for urea), ammonia (key input), phosphoric acid &amp; sulphur.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s fertiliser industry is described as <strong>import-dependent at multiple stages (inputs and finished products)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role of Persian Gulf Countries: Key suppliers<\/strong> are Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and UAE.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They have abundant <strong>natural gas<\/strong>, critical for cheap ammonia &amp; urea production, and strategic location for global shipping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Gulf countries were the <strong>single biggest regional exporter of urea and ammonia<\/strong> (both nitrogen-based), and the <strong>second largest regional exporter<\/strong> of <strong>diammonium phosphate (DAP)<\/strong> and <strong>monoammonium phosphate (MAP) <\/strong>fertilizers for 2023-2025.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Gulf region dominates global fertiliser supply chains:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Saudi Arabia: largest urea exporter, 2nd largest ammonia exporter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About 50% of global sulphur trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e9dcd1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"968\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-145.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-72162\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e9dcd1; aspect-ratio:3.092676753149629;width:459px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-145.png 968w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-145-300x97.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-145-768x248.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 968px) 100vw, 968px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for India\u2019s Dependence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Structural Factors: <\/strong>Lack of domestic reserves of <strong>phosphate &amp; potash; <\/strong>limited natural gas availability; and high energy cost of fertiliser production.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy Factors: <\/strong>Subsidy regime discourages efficiency; and underinvestment in domestic capacity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s <strong>phosphatic fertiliser sector is about 90% import dependent<\/strong> due to raw material constraints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications of Dependency<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strategic Risks: <\/strong>Vulnerability to <strong>West Asian conflicts<\/strong>, and supply disruptions via Strait of Hormuz.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Risks: <\/strong>Rising import bill, and pressure on fiscal deficit (subsidy burden).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Agricultural Risks: <\/strong>Price volatility affects farmers\u2019 input costs, and potential impact on food production.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Risks: <\/strong>Excessive use of chemical fertilisers leads to soil degradation; Nitrogen fertilisers contribute to greenhouse gas emissions; water-intensive ammonia production adds sustainability concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dce3d9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"721\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-146.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-72163\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dce3d9; aspect-ratio:1.3203978877563551;width:378px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-146.png 952w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-146-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-146-768x582.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Economic Burden: Farmers and Fiscal Costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>On Farmers:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fertiliser: <strong>16% of paid-out costs (subsidised prices)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At market rates: up to <strong>50% of input costs<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wheat: \u20b94,500\u2013\u20b96,500 per acre on fertilisers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paddy: \u20b94,500\u2013\u20b97,000 per acre<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>On Government: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/21-04-2026\/fertiliser-subsidy-reform\">Fertiliser subsidy<\/a> increases automatically with global price spikes; urea price frozen since 2018 (\u20b9242 per bag), and pressure on foreign exchange reserves.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It creates fiscal strain, exposure to global price volatility, and implicit transfer of economic benefits to exporting countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pathways to Reduce Dependence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agroecological Alternatives:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): <\/strong>It covers more than 8 million hectares (Andhra Pradesh); reduces input costs by 20\u201350%; and maintains yields, increases profits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Organic Farming (Sikkim Model): <\/strong>12% productivity increase over 5 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integrated Nutrient Management: <\/strong>Combines chemical and organic inputs; it reduces fertilizer use by 25\u201340%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Solutions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Green Ammonia (solar-based fertiliser production): <\/strong>It leverages India\u2019s renewable energy capacity, and decouples agriculture from fossil fuel imports.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Green fertilisers as a key solution linking decarbonisation and food security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lessons From Global Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The case of Sri Lanka (2021) demonstrates that abrupt bans on chemical fertilisers can lead to severe yield losses (up to 40%), and poorly planned transitions can trigger economic crises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Transition needs to be gradual, evidence-based, and supported by policy incentives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Policy measures <\/strong>include gradual fertiliser rationalisation, target rainfed areas for transition, promote biofertilisers and composting, invest in green ammonia and domestic capacity, and reform subsidy structure (shift to direct income support)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strategic measures <\/strong>include diversifying import sources, building strategic fertiliser reserves, and strengthening supply chain resilience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental measures <\/strong>include encouraging sustainable farming practices, and align with climate commitments (NDCs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Examine the implications of fertilizer supply disruptions on India\u2019s agriculture amid recent geopolitical developments in West Asia. Suggest a balanced strategy for ensuring long-term food and input security.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/opinion\/indias-food-security-is-largely-dependent-on-the-persian-gulf-101776972492410.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: HT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-24-04-2026.pdf\"><strong>Download PDF<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Published on:<\/strong> 24 April, 2026<\/p>\n<p>Recent geopolitical tensions (e.g., US-Iran conflict) and restrictions on Strait of Hormuz leads to supply shortages and fertiliser inputs flows in India, as it is highly dependent on Gulf-origin fertilisers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":72166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/persian-gulf-and-indias-food-security.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72161"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72194,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72161\/revisions\/72194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}