India seeks food security through more Moroccan phosphates supplies

Indian chemicals and fertilizers minister Mansukh Mandaviya will be visiting Morocco this month to seal long-term phosphates supply deal amid surging prices in the international market.

Indian media reported that in addition to Morocco the minister, accompanied by Indian firms, will also visit Egypt to set up plants for Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) export facilities.

India is also seeking fertilizer supplies from Senegal, Israel, Oman, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Jordan after DAP supplies from China came to a halt amid the Ukraine war that has led to soaring prices of soil nutrients and feedstocks.

“Morocco has huge reserves of phosphorus, which is an important element for production of fertilizers. Therefore, I am planning to visit Morocco from 13-14 January for signing a memorandum of understanding with them,” Mandaviya was reported by Indian media as saying.

India uses 43.5 million tons of fertilizers annually. It imports around 60% of its needs of diammonium phosphates as well as 25% of urea and 15% of NPK.

OCP, which controls the world’s largest phosphates reserves, plans to increase its production of fertilizers to 15 million tons this year from 11.9 million last year.