New Delhi: India’s urea imports have increased 40.5% in the first half of fiscal year 2027 compared to the same period a year ago, despite the government’s push to reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers, Economic Times reported.Urea is the most-used fertiliser in India because it is affordable, widely available, rich in nitrogen and rooted in decades-old farming traditions.According to industry data, sales of all major fertiliser varieties, including urea, reportedly fell amid deficient rainfall and subdued demand. Moreover, in April, imports of urea started on a subdued note at 583,000 tonnes due to the West Asia crisis disrupting supply chains.By July, however, it peaked at 1.534 million tonnes, per the data.According to the report, total urea imports in the April-September period rose to 5.589 million tonnes from 3.979 million tonnes in the first half of last fiscal year while local sales fell 4.1% to 18.52 million tonnes. Large parts of the country faced poor rainfall this year, with parts of Maharashtra even declaring drought-like conditions. This seemingly deterred farmers from spending on soil nutrients, an industry executive told the daily.Domestic urea production rose 4% during the period, according to latest data from the Fertiliser Association of India. Production and imports of nitrogen-phospherous/nitrogen-phospherous-potassium (NP/NPK) fertilisers fell 35.5% and 31.4%, respectively, as sulphur prices rose due to the geopolitical tensions, weighing on supplies. Their sales were down 22.2%.Imports of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), which is used mainly to provide phosphorus to crops, also declined 11.2%, while its domestic production fell 0.3%. Sales of DAP, the second most used soil nutrient in India, also fell marginally by 0.6% year-over-year, according to the data cited by ET. Moreover, sales of muriate of phosphate (MOP) and single super phosphate also dropped 11.7% and 1.4%, respectively. The Wire has previously reported India recorded one of its weakest rainfalls in over a decade this year despite an early onset over the Andaman Sea on May 16, six days ahead of its scheduled date, and a withdrawal that began on September 19, two days later than normal.The four-month-long monsoon season, essential for the cultivation of Kharif crops such as rice, pulses, sugarcane and oilseeds, ended with a 13% deficiency in rainfall, as India received just 87% of its long-period average rainfall (LPA) between June and September.The deficient monsoon came amid rising global temperatures and a developing El Nino, which, according to the World Meteorological Organization, is expected to strengthen in the coming months. It has been nicknamed “godzilla”, given its highest recorded temperature.