Fertilizer Crisis in Himachal: Most Warehouses Empty or Stock Extremely Low

June 3, 2026

In Himachal Pradesh, a fertilizer crisis appears to be deepening for farmers and horticulturists ahead of the upcoming Kharif season. The availability of chemical fertilizers has become extremely limited across most of the state’s cooperative societies and fertilizer distribution centers, while many warehouses lie empty. Consequently, farmers’ concerns have escalated regarding the imminent sowing of maize, a major crop in the state, and preparations for other Kharif crops.

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that farmers are currently compelled to make repeated rounds of warehouses in search of bagged fertilizers, including the 12-32-16 grade only to return empty-handed.

Farmers such as Rohit Kumar, Sunny, Jaswinder Singh, Rampal Saini, and Rashpal, among others, state that they have been continuously visiting warehouses over the past few days in search of fertilizers; however, due to the lack of adequate stock, they are forced to return empty-handed.

In several locations, the distribution system itself is being disrupted due to the extremely low availability of fertilizers relative to demand. Dr. Sudhir Singh Katiyar, State Marketing Manager for IFFCO in Himachal Pradesh, explained that the supply of raw materials required for fertilizer production has been disrupted due to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf nations. A request for a new consignment of fertilizers has been submitted, and distribution will be carried out strictly according to availability. As an alternative, farmers may opt to use Nano fertilizers.