The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the Rabi 2026-27 season, which runs from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, the government said in an official release.

Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)

The tentative budgetary requirement for the season is Rs 62,370.02 crore — about Rs 24,417.73 crore more than the Rs 37,952.29 crore estimated for Rabi 2025-26, an increase of roughly 64 per cent.

Rs 62,370.02 croreTentative Rabi 2026-27 subsidy requirement
Rs 37,952.29 croreRabi 2025-26 requirement
Oct 1, 2026–Mar 31, 2027Rabi 2026-27 season

The government said the higher outlay follows recent trends in international prices of fertilisers and inputs such as urea, DAP, MOP and sulphur. Under the NBS scheme, in place since April 1, 2010, subsidy is paid to fertiliser companies at approved and notified rates so that P&K fertilisers remain available to farmers at affordable prices.

The Rabi approval follows the Kharif 2026 rates cleared earlier this year for April 1 to September 30, 2026, whose tentative budget was about Rs 41,533.81 crore. The fertiliser decision was part of a wider Cabinet package on Wednesday worth Rs 77,101 crore in total, which also covered credit guarantees for small entrepreneurs, a Noida Metro extension and a national museum project.

Source: Daily Jagran

What it means for farmers

The subsidy goes to fertiliser companies, not directly to farmers — its purpose is to hold down the retail price of DAP, MOP and other P&K fertilisers through the Rabi sowing and growing season.