India has an adequate stock of fertilisers for next crop season: Mansukh Mandaviya

The minister said that Indian fertiliser cargoes are now coming via the Cape of Good Hope and that has raised freight costs significantly.

New Delhi: India has an adequate stock of fertilisers to meet demand in the summer crop season and tensions in the Red Sea region will not lead to any shortage, the Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday.

Attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have disrupted trade on one of the world's most important shipping routes, adding between 10 and 15 days to transit times as ships take the safer route around southern Africa.

"There will be no shortages of fertilisers. Foreign Ministry is intervening, and Indian Navy is providing protection to our ships," Mandaviya said.

"Indian fertiliser cargoes are now coming via the Cape of Good Hope and that has raised freight costs significantly."

Mandaviya said that the current stock levels, along with local production, would be sufficient to meet the demands.