KARACHI: Pakistan’s agricultural sector is facing an escalating crisis as a severe shortage of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser threatens the upcoming Rabi sowing season, raising concerns over declining crop yields, rising input costs and potential risks to the country’s food security.
Industry sources said that vessels carrying imported DAP fertiliser remain stuck in berth queues and at outer anchorage at Karachi Port, delaying the arrival of critical supplies and heightening fears of a significant decline in yields of the 2026–27 wheat crop.
Field reports indicate that key farming belts across Punjab and Sindh are already experiencing supply bottlenecks of DAP, which is a critical soil nutrient applied during early sowing to build root strength in wheat plants.
Agriculture experts warn that even a two-to-three-week delay in applying phosphate fertilisers during the optimal sowing window (October to November) can permanently stunt crop development, reducing overall wheat output by up to 20 to 25 percent.
Industry sources attributed the port congestion to logistical bottlenecks, delays in customs clearance and congestion at bulk cargo terminals. Although port authorities and terminal operators are making efforts to expedite the handling of incoming fertiliser shipments, ground-level distribution remains severely constrained, further aggravating the shortage during the critical Rabi sowing season.
Dealers in inland market hubs have already begun rationing stocks, triggering panic buying and artificial price spikes above the official rate per bag.
“If farmers are forced to sow without adequate DAP due to port delays or black-market price surges, we will witness a sharp drop in acre-for-acre yield come harvest time in early 2027.”
The potential shortfall comes at a delicate time for Pakistan’s food economy. Domestic wheat flour prices have already been under pressure, hovering between Rs 150 and Rs 180 per kg across major urban centres.
Industry sources warned that a shortfall in the 2027 wheat harvest would compel the government to rely heavily on expensive foreign imports, pushing retail flour prices past the unprecedented threshold of Rs 200 per kilogram.
Agriculture sector representatives have called on the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of National Food Security, and port authorities for early declare an emergency clearance protocol for all fertiliser carrying vessels at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
Immediate prioritisation of offloading berths, fast-tracked customs processing, and dedicated freight transit are urgently required to prevent a localised port delay from metastasising into a nationwide national food crisis, they added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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