India has formally requested China to permit urea fertilizer sales as ongoing conflict in the Middle East severely restricts the country's natural gas supplies. The gas shortage threatens domestic fertilizer production in one of the world's largest agricultural economies.
Urea is critical for crop yields in India, where agriculture employs nearly half the workforce and feeds 1.4 billion people. Natural gas serves as both a feedstock and energy source for urea manufacturing, making the industry vulnerable to supply disruptions from major gas-producing regions.