Indian urea sales to end-users could reach nearly 6 million tonnes (mn t) in December, potentially setting a new monthly record for fertilizer offtake.
December usually marks the peak demand period for the winter rabi season, and sales have started strongly this month. According to provisional data, domestic urea production remains stable at around 2.6 million tonnes per month.
In comparison, India sold 5.2 million tonnes of urea in December 2024. The highest monthly urea sales on record stood at 5.4 million tonnes in July 2025.
Urea Stocks Decline Amid Strong Offtake
India’s urea inventories declined during the month due to strong sales. Stocks stood at around 6.3 million tonnes in mid-December, down from 7.1 million tonnes at the start of the month, data show.
The sharp rise in domestic offtake likely prompted National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) to issue an earlier-than-expected urea import tender this week. The tender, which closes on 2 January, seeks 1.5 million tonnes of urea for shipment by 20 February.
India Remains Key Driver of Global Urea Trade
India remains the world’s largest urea importer, and its state-backed tenders closely influence global urea prices. So far in this calendar year, the country has purchased 9.23 million tonnes of urea through international tenders.
With domestic demand peaking and inventories tightening, India’s procurement activity is expected to remain a key factor shaping the international urea market in the coming weeks.
