Far from the Gulf of Aden where Somali pirates are striking at will, Indian farmers are beginning to feel the heat — key ingredients for diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, much in demand during the rabi sowing season, are stuck in ships seized by the pirates.

A spokesman for the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), the country’s largest fertiliser cooperative, told The Indian Express today that the acts of piracy have led to a more than ten per cent cut in fertiliser production at a time when it is needed most.

The seized Stella Maris and Stolt Strength were carrying phosphoric acid for IFFCO plants in Kandla in Gujarat and Paradeep in Orissa. Their fate remains unclear. A third ship, Stolt Valor, carrying the same cargo for IFFCO, was released last Saturday after a hefty ransom was forked out. It will reach Kandla on November 23, over two months behind schedule.

That is little consolation for IFFCO which produces nearly 19 lakh tonnes of fertiliser collectively from its five units, including two in Gujarat — at Kandla and Kalol. With the other ships not coming in, IFFCO plants have already run up a deficit of ammonium phosphate production by 81,000 tonnes. “The hijackings have severely affected our production of DAP fertiliser,” said IFFCO Deputy General Manager M C Gupta. The timing, he said, could not have been worse. This is the peak distribution season when farmers prepare for rabi crops.