Urea demand in Pakistan rises 42.5% while phosphate fertilizer sales decline

Fertilizer offtake in Pakistan increased by 25.5% year on year in September 2026 to 371 thsd tons in nutrient terms. The main driver was stronger demand for urea, with sales rising by 42.5% to 611 thsd tons. Meanwhile, diammonium phosphate (DAP) sales declined by 30.4% to 68 thsd tons. This was reported by Fertilizer Daily, citing data from Pakistan’s National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC).

Nitrogen and potash recorded the strongest growth in fertilizer consumption. Nitrogen offtake increased by 36.1%, while potash consumption rose by 32.7%. In contrast, phosphate consumption declined by 20.4%, indicating significant changes in the country’s fertilizer demand structure.

The strongest growth in urea sales was recorded in Punjab and Sindh provinces, up 59.7% and 49.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, urea sales in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan fell to almost zero due to a ban on the sale and distribution of nitrogen fertilizers. DAP sales declined across all provinces, including an 18% drop in Punjab and a 47% decrease in Sindh.

For the entire Kharif 2026 agricultural season, which ran from April to September, total fertilizer consumption remained virtually unchanged at 2.17 mln tons in nutrient terms. However, urea sales increased by 8.4% to 3.37 mln tons, while DAP sales fell by 25.4% to 485 thsd tons. Domestic fertilizer production reached 717 thsd tons in September, including 508 thsd tons of urea and 72 thsd tons of DAP.

Declining demand for phosphate fertilizers in Pakistan reflects similar challenges across South Asia, where high import costs are limiting product availability. In particular, India is facing a DAP shortage during its winter crop planting campaign. Meanwhile, fertilizer prices in Pakistan continue to rise, with DAP prices increasing by 2.6% month on month in September and urea prices climbing by 0.7%.

Tags: phosphate fertilizer, Pakistan, fertilizers, carbamide