India, April 1 -- For a country that is among the world's largest food producers and thus one of the biggest consumers of fertilisers, secure access to these inputs is vital. While India is broadly self-sufficient in food grains, it is not so in fertilisers and depends heavily on imports, whether for finished products or raw materials used to make them. Data with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that India is the world's second-largest fertiliser importer by both volume and value. The ongoing war between the US-Israel and Iran has exposed this vulnerability of India in ensuring a steady supply of these farm inputs for sustaining agricultural yields.

On March 10, the Union government invoked the Essential Commodities...