India has sufficient crude inventory, seeds and fertiliser stocks: Govt

The Government has assured that the country has adequate availability of seeds, fertilisers and agro-chemicals for the upcoming Kharif season, and asked states to take steps to check hoarding, black marketing, smuggling and diversion of fertilisers for non-agricultural use. Addressing the Inter ministerial press conference on Wednesday on recent developments in West Asia in New Delhi, Additional Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, informed that over 185 lakh quintals of Kharif crop seeds are available across the country. 

VIDEO | Delhi: "46% of fertilizers already available as the opening stock for current Kharif season", says Dr Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Additional Secretary at Ministry of Agriculture and farmers welfare pic.twitter.com/4GvNOQ00YX

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 1, 2026

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said that the country’s crude inventory is currently sufficient. She said that the Government has made arrangements to ensure adequate crude supply for the next two months. The Joint Secretary also informed that the country’s refineries are operating at optimal capacity, and no instances of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets. She noted that to shield domestic consumers from international price volatility, the Government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel so that consumers are protected and prices do not rise.

#WATCH | Delhi: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, says, "As you are all aware, our crude inventory is sufficient, and the Government of India has made adequate arrangements for crude oil supplies for the next two… pic.twitter.com/yo74JV9QTC

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2026

"Our refineries are operating at optimal capacity, and no instances of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets. In this context, I would also like to highlight that about two months ago, Brent crude was trading in the range of around $70 per barrel, whereas today it has crossed $100 per barrel. Despite this increase, there has been no rise in petrol and diesel prices for domestic consumers,” she said,

(Senior Journalist)