Indian Railways records 37% rise in fertiliser transport in September, contributing towards timely supply of Rabi crops

Officials said the increase in loading is aimed at ensuring adequate supply of fertilisers to key regions before farmers begin sowing winter crops.

“The increase in loading is (owing to) the early supply of fertilisers to key areas. It also indicates growing trust among fertiliser manufacturers and distributors in the reliability and cost-effectiveness of rail transport,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Railways.

For the first half of FY26 (April-September 2025), the rail coefficient for fertiliser supply stood at almost 87 per cent, showing the Railways’ key role in bulk commodity movement in catering to seasonal demand, the official added.

Out of total freight revenue of Rs 13,646.39 crore in September, fertiliser transport contributed Rs 790.25 crore, accounting for 5.79 per cent of total earnings, according to Railway Ministry data. This marks an increase of 1.65 percentage points during the same period a year ago.

Some of the key loading areas are eastern ports such as Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kakinada, Krishnapatnam and western ports including Kandla, Mundra and those used by KRIBHCO.