Russia-Ukraine war impacts India’s fertilizer imports and tea exports, Kerala too face heat

Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has badly impacted India’s fertilizer imports and tea exports, and resultant ripples are affecting Kerala too.

Urea, potash and complex are widely used for agricultural activities in Kerala. India relies on countries like Ukraine, Russia and Belarus for these fertilisers. 16-16-16 complex fertilizer is sourced from Russia, urea from Ukraine and potash and salt with reduced sodium content are sourced from Belarus. They reach India through Thoothukudi and Mangaluru ports.

However, now, due to war, the cargo shipments from these countries are disrupted. This has affected stocking by Indian importers. If the war prolongs, there will be a supply crisis and this, in turn, would put fertilizer price on fire.