Sector Update | 16 January 2019
Agriculture
A year of diverging fortunes for fertilizer industry
Refer to our report published
on 19 December 2018
Rabi fades Kharif enthusiasm; CRIN outperforms industry
Indian fertilizer industry volumes grew by a muted 1.7% YoY in 9MFY19 (according to the
Ministry of Fertilizers data) due to anemic sowing activity in Rabi across key states. The
Rabi 2018-19 season has turned out to be unfavorable so far, as farmers faced plights in
the form of low reservoir levels (down by 37%, 28% and 23% YoY in Maharashtra, AP and
Telangana, respectively) and reduced moisture content. In this note, we highlight key
trends in the fertilizers industry for FY19:
The situation was much better in 1HFY19 than in recent times, with a significant
tapering in volume growth (from 7.8% YoY in 1HFY19 to -8.4% YoY in 3QFY19),
manufactured NPK growth (from 20% YoY in 1HFY19 to 10.3% in 9MFY19) and
manufactured urea growth (from 4.2% YoY in 1HFY19 to 0.3% in 9MFY19).
The continuous rise in phosphoric acid prices has resulted in a shift in balance from
manufactured DAP (-24.3% YoY in 9MFY19) to traded DAP (+59.3% YoY in 9MFY19).
While hostile conditions have failed to fertilize industry growth, CRIN has bucked the
trend by growing at ~7.9% YoY. The company’s NPK volumes increased 17.9% YoY in
9MFY19, with its market share in NPK expanding by 190bp and phosphatic fertilizer
(NPK+DAP) volumes growing by 13.2% YoY.
Volumes suffer amid a subdued Rabi season
Industry volume growth was flattish at 1.7% YoY in 9MFY19, with subsiding
growth in manufactured NPK (+10.3%), manufactured SSP (+7.6% YoY),
manufactured MOP (-1.7%) and manufactured urea (flat).
We, however, note that this has not been an across-the-year trend. Volume
growth was strong in Kharif 2018, primarily led by increased acreage in key
crops. Volumes of manufactured NPK grew by 20% YoY on average in 1HFY19
(Kharif season), followed by manufactured SSP (+14.9%), manufactured MOP
(+5.9%) and manufactured urea (+4.2% YoY).
The important Rabi season was downcast across key regions, with volumes of
manufactured NPK down by 6.6% YoY in 3QFY19. Manufactured MOP (-18.3%
YoY), SSP (-5.1% YoY) and urea (-6.7% YoY) volumes were also muted.
The key fertilizer-consuming states are Maharashtra (21.7% of NPK volumes),
Karnataka (12.8%), Andhra Pradesh (11.7%), Telangana (11.2%), West Bengal
(10.2%), Gujarat (7.5%), Tamil Nadu (5.9%) and Uttar Pradesh (5.7%).
All the aforementioned states, barring UP and Telangana (where manufactured
NPK volumes grew 6.7% and 2.4% YoY, respectively, in 3QFY19), witnessed a
muted Rabi season.
The NPK volume decline was particularly pronounced in Maharashtra (-31.3%
YoY in 3QFY19), followed by Gujarat (-19.9%), Tamil Nadu (-13.5%), Andhra
Pradesh (-8.7%), West Bengal (-8.2%) and Karnataka (-5.1%).
We note that a good Kharif season was overshadowed by the Rabi
disappointment, leading to soft volume growth in the key states in 9MFY19 –
Andhra Pradesh (flat NPK volumes), Gujarat (-12% YoY), Karnataka (+31.3% YoY),
Maharashtra (-0.6% YoY), Tamil Nadu (+8.9% YoY), Telangana (+6.2% YoY), Uttar
Pradesh (+39.8% YoY) and West Bengal (+10.1% YoY).
The story is dismal across states
Sumant Kumar – Research analyst
(Sumant.Kumar@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 6129 1569
Aksh Vashishth – Research analyst
(Aksh.Vashishth@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 6129 1553
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