Yara South Asia eyes new product launches in 2026 as regulatory approvals delay pipeline rollout

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Fertiliser firm Yara South Asia is targeting new product launches in India in 2026 as lengthy regulatory processes delay its pipeline of innovative fertilisers and crop nutrition solutions, Managing Director Sanjiv Kanwar said, emphasising the importance of integrated nutrient management to address the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture.

The company has several products undergoing trials, including a potash solution for fruit crops and bio-stimulants, but faces a four-to-five-year registration timeline in India that hampers the faster commercialization of solutions critical for sustainable farming.

"We have some very strong products that are in the pipeline. We are undergoing trials and hopefully once we get the approvals from the government of India, we will be able to launch in the coming year," Kanwar told PTI in an interview.

"The company's innovation focus centers on improving nutrient use efficiency through products such as zinc-coated fertilizers and highly effective micronutrient and macronutrient solutions," Kanwar said.

Among the key products in the pipeline is a potash solution designed for fruit crops, particularly apples. Trials have been completed, and reports have been submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, positioning the product to support crop diversification efforts.

"This potash solution is very effective on fruit crops, especially apples. It will help in the colour, the size and the keeping quality of apples," Kanwar said, adding the product could be launched within three months of receiving regulatory approval.

Yara is already supplying bio-stimulants through partnerships with Bangalore-based C6 and Pune's Bio Prime. The company is also conducting trials on five bio-stimulants produced at its UK facilities across various locations in India.

"We have a very strong belief that the best way forward is to have a blended approach where you have the mineral fertilizers and the bio-stimulants or the organics working together," he said, adding that both add value to each other and the farmer benefits from that.

While supporting swift action against fake products, Kanwar called for faster registration processes to encourage innovation. He cited a 2019 World Bank report noting that India takes 97 days to register new fertilizers, though in practice the timeline extends beyond 900 days.

"If there is anything fake, if what is on the label is not in the bottle, then we need to have action taken against the person, and that has to be very quick," he said and added that "But bio-stimulant is a very innovative part of the business." Kanwar advocated for a system based on general specifications listing minimum nutrients and maximum contaminants. "It should be a label claim because it is taking too much time to get new products registered," he said.

Yara South Asia, a subsidiary of Norwegian fertiliser major Yara International, is prioritizing organic growth rather than acquisitions, focusing on integrating its existing urea and specialty fertilizer businesses, he said.

The company is not looking to expand urea production at its Babrala plant, in Uttar Pradesh, but is investing heavily in farmer education and sustainable agriculture practices through balanced crop nutrition programs that enhance soil health and productivity.

Yara's strategy balances commodity urea production with innovative specialty fertilizers, bio-stimulants and micronutrients that act as "force multipliers" for productivity.

"On one side, we have the commodity product system which is urea that we produce at our Babrala plant, and then we are backing it up with a force multiplier by bringing innovative specialty fertilizer products," Kanwar said.

The company's crop programs integrate subsidized urea and DAP with specialty products to boost nutrient efficiency. "Our crop programs include a balance of urea, DAP subsidized side to make it economically viable for the farmers and also have a force multiplier coming from the specialty fertilizers," he said.

The company's balanced nutrition programs have delivered measurable results. Kanwar said that wherever Yara has implemented crop programs tailored to specific crop needs, farmers have achieved an average yield increase of 15-20 per cent.

The company has maintained double-digit growth since 2011, barring disruptions from COVID-19, the Ukraine war, and the 2023 drought.

The company conducts approximately 30,000-50,000 farmer meetings annually, reaching 650,000-700,000 farmers in person. Its Farm Care app has registered 3-4 million farmers, with approximately 1 million regular users who receive hyper-local weather forecasts and guidance from seed to harvest.

Yara is expanding partnerships with research institutions, including ICAR for bio-stimulant trials, WorldVeg for vegetable crops, and the UP Sugar Research Institute for sugarcane studies. Yara is also in talks with several science-based local bio-stimulant producers to explore collaboration opportunities.

Kanwar added that the expansion of Yara's Yorkshire plant will enable increased micronutrient supplies to India once it reaches full capacity, helping build local markets and reduce import dependencies.

Yara Clean Ammonia, the company's subsidiary, is positioning India as a source for green ammonia exports rather than a production location. The unit has signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with local projects to help Indian producers access global markets.

"Yara Clean Ammonia would be looking at India as a source of green ammonia," Kanwar said, adding, "We may not be looking at India as a place to produce ourselves, but we will certainly work very closely with the Indian producers of green ammonia to help them access the global markets because Yara is one of the world's largest players in the ammonia market." PTI LUX DRR