Bhubaneswar, March 26 -- The Rs 13,000 crore Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) project in Odisha's Angul district, once expected to strengthen India's fertilizer self-reliance, is now running over four years behind schedule, raising concerns for farmers amid ongoing global supply uncertainties.

Designed to produce 12.7 lakh metric tonnes of urea annually, the coal gasification-based plant was initially slated for commissioning in September 2023. However, the deadline has now been pushed to December 2027. The delay comes at a time when India's fertilizer supply chain is under stress due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, a region crucial for global energy and fertilizer inputs.

The prolonged delay is likely to have a cascading effect...