Indonesia’s Surplus Urea Fertilizer Attracts Interest from India, Philippines

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia is set to expand its role in the global fertilizer market as several countries express interest in importing urea fertilizer from the country.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto confirmed that India and the Philippines have joined Australia in requesting shipments, citing Indonesia’s current production surplus.

“Our fertilizer is in surplus, so several countries, including India, the Philippines, and Australia, have requested it. This demand aligns with the current surplus in national production,” Minister Airlangga said in a statement released by the Government Communications Agency (Bakom RI) on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

To maintain competitive prices, the government has set the gas price for the fertilizer industry at around USD 6 per MMBtu.

This policy has enabled Indonesia to offer fertilizer at attractive rates, strengthening its position in international markets. A million metric British thermal units (MMBtu) is the standard unit for measuring energy, particularly in natural gas contracts.

Minister Airlangga noted that the government recently approved urea fertilizer exports to Australia. “Indonesia is resilient in the food sector, especially since urea fertilizer is safe,” he said.

On Tuesday, April 21, President Prabowo Subianto received a phone call from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s decision to supply fertilizer to Australia.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya later confirmed that President Subianto had approved the export of 250,000 tons of urea fertilizer to Australia as the first phase of shipments. The total export volume is expected to reach 1 million tons.

Teddy added that other countries, including Thailand and Brazil, have also shown interest in importing Indonesian fertilizer. He emphasized that the exports are part of Indonesia’s strategy to strengthen its role in the global supply chain.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia’s total urea production is 7.8 million tons, while domestic demand is around 6.3 million tons. This surplus provides room for Indonesia to expand exports while ensuring domestic needs remain secure. (Misni Parjiati/Lasti Martina)