Tajikistan’s largest mineral fertilizer producer is cutting output because of weak sales. Farmers, however, say the problem is not a lack of demand: they need fertilizer but cannot afford it after multiple intermediaries push up the price.
In the first half of 2026, JSC Azot produced 5,100 tons of urea worth 18.2 million somoni. Output fell by 2,100 tons compared with January–June 2025, while its value declined by 7.3 million somoni. In monetary terms, production stood at 71% of the level recorded in the first half of last year.
The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies attributed the decline to limited purchases by agricultural farms and the seasonal nature of fertilizer demand.
The plant has faced production difficulties before. In 2024, output fell because of electricity shortages in the first quarter and the suspension of natural gas supplies in the fourth quarter. Some of the fertiliser produced that year also remained unsold.
“During the Planting Season, a Bag Cost 400 Somoni”
While the Ministry of Industry points to weak demand, farmers and buyers say high retail prices are preventing them from purchasing the quantities they need.
According to farmers interviewed for this article, a 50-kilogram bag of mineral fertilizer cost as much as 400 somoni at the height of the spring planting season. It is currently available for around 360 somoni.
Farmers fear prices could rise again in August, when many agricultural producers begin planting second crops.
“During the planting season, the price reached 400 somoni per bag. It has fallen slightly, but it is still around 360 somoni. Second-crop planting begins in August, demand will increase again, and the price may return to 400 somoni,” one farmer said.
For farms that require dozens or hundreds of bags, even an increase of 20 to 40 somoni per bag results in substantial additional costs.
What Does Urea Cost at the Factory?
No publicly available official price list from JSC Azot for 2026 could be found.
In 2024, the company announced that it had reduced the price of urea to 3.6 somoni per kilogram. At that rate, a 50-kilogram bag would have cost 180 somoni.
Before domestic production resumed, a bag of urea sold for approximately 400 somoni in 2022 and 350 somoni in 2023.
In June 2026, a commercial listing offered urea at $560 per tonne under FCA terms at Bokhtar railway station. The seller said the price was negotiable.
At an exchange rate of approximately 9.25 somoni to the dollar, this would equal about 5.18 somoni per kilogram, or roughly 260 somoni for a 50-kilogram bag.
However, this figure is based on a commercial offer and is not a confirmed ex-works price provided by JSC Azot.
Listings from wholesale sellers in May and June also showed considerable price differences. In Khujand, Tajik-produced urea was offered for 260 somoni per bag, while Uzbek urea was listed at 285 somoni. In Dushanbe, urea was offered for 320 somoni. Another seller in Khujand advertised it for 238 somoni, including delivery.
Is Tajik Urea Lower in Quality?
The Ministry of Industry has said that one reason for weak sales is the perception that Tajik-produced urea is inferior to imported fertilizer, particularly products from Uzbekistan.
Farmers interviewed for this article did not support that assessment.
Agronomist Bakhtiyor Haitboyev said he had tested urea produced by JSC Azot on a rice field and was satisfied with the results.
“At first, I was cautious about our urea,” he said. “For many years, when Tajikistan had no domestic production, farmers used fertilizer from Uzbekistan and became accustomed to it. That is why the first products from the Levakant plant were received with some hesitation.”
Haitboyev said farmers were gradually becoming more familiar with domestically produced fertilizer.
“The quality of Tajik urea is comparable to foreign alternatives. The plant needs time and a strong advertising campaign, and then things will improve,” he said.
Other consumers also said that, when applied correctly, Tajik urea and ammonium nitrate performed no worse than imported fertilizers.
Why Are Farmers Buying Less?
Experts estimate that Tajikistan requires around 600,000 tons of mineral fertilizers of all types each year.
The Ministry of Industry has said that, provided there is stable demand, JSC Azot could increase production and fully meet the country’s requirements specifically for urea.
However, the amount of fertilizer farmers need and the amount they can afford to purchase are not the same.
Farmers say high prices often force them to buy fewer bags than are required for their entire cultivated area. Some purchase fertilizer in small batches immediately before application because they do not have enough money to acquire the full volume in advance.
Demand also changes throughout the year. Fertilizer use peaks during the main planting season and the planting of second crops, while purchases decline between agricultural seasons.
“Fertilizers account for a significant share of our expenses,” farmer Abdurahmon Solimjonov said. “When growing onions, they can make up about a quarter of total costs. For cotton, the share can be even higher, while for rice it is somewhat lower.”
The amount required also depends on soil quality, he added.
“If the soil is poor, more fertilizer is needed. When prices rise, farmers must either spend more or buy less than necessary. But applying too little fertilizer reduces yields. Ultimately, high prices reduce both the harvest and farmers’ income,” Solimjonov said.
Who Is Increasing the Price?
Farmers suspect that fertilizer prices are being artificially inflated during peak planting periods.
They say supplies in agricultural regions are often controlled by a small number of major wholesalers. These companies purchase large consignments, after which the fertilizer passes through one or more intermediaries before reaching retail outlets.
Retailers, however, say they earn only a small amount from each bag.
Asked why fertilizer was being sold for 360 somoni, one trader said the retail outlet did not determine the initial price.
“We do not add much. Our profit is around five to 10 somoni per bag,” he said. “The price is set by the suppliers. If they deliver the product at a high price, we cannot sell it more cheaply.”
Farmers offer a different calculation. They estimate that if the first dealer sells a bag for around 232 somoni, the next wholesaler or intermediary may add more than 100 somoni. The retailer, as the third link in the chain, may then add another 30 to 50 somoni.
The estimates provided by farmers and retailers therefore differ considerably. Farmers believe that the final retail markup alone may reach 30 to 50 somoni per bag, while retailers say their profit is no more than 10 somoni.
Transport Costs Do Not Explain a 100-Somoni Increase
According to estimates from market participants, transporting one bag of fertilizer over 100 kilometers costs approximately 50 dirams.
Following increases in fuel prices, this may have risen to around 60 dirams per bag for every 100 kilometers.
Even when fertilizer is transported from Levakant to Hisor, delivery costs amount to only a few somoni per bag, according to those interviewed.
Farmers therefore argue that transport expenses alone cannot explain a price increase of 100 to 150 somoni.
How Much Urea Is Stored at Azot?
As of July 1, 2025, JSC Azot had more than 41,000 tons of finished urea in its warehouses.
At a press conference, Minister of Industry and New Technologies Sherali Kabir said the company had fertilizer available but buyers were not rushing to purchase it. The plant sold more than 8,600 tons of urea during the first half of 2025.
The volume currently stored at the company’s warehouses is unknown. At its press conference covering the first half of 2026, the Ministry of Industry did not provide updated inventory figures.
During January–June 2026, Tajikistan imported nearly 70,000 tons of fertilizers worth $24.9 million.
Compared with the first half of 2025, import volumes fell by 35,900 tons, or 33.9%. Spending declined by $4.6 million, or 15.6%.
At the same time, the average price of imported fertilizer increased from $279 to $356 per ton — a rise of almost 28%.
Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan were the main suppliers. Uzbekistan exported 38,700 tons to Tajikistan, Russia supplied 16,300 tons and Kazakhstan 14,100 tonnes. Together, the three countries accounted for approximately 99% of total imports.
Supplies from Uzbekistan fell by almost half, while imports from Russia declined by more than a quarter. Imports from Kazakhstan, by contrast, more than doubled.
Nitrogen fertilizers accounted for the largest share of imports, at 38,800 tonnes. A further 26,800 tonnes consisted of mixed and other mineral fertilizers. Tajikistan also imported 4,100 tonnes of phosphate fertilizers and around 302 tons of potash fertilizers.
By individual product type, the largest volumes consisted of urea, ammonium nitrate, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and nitrogen-phosphorus blends.
“Unnecessary Middlemen Must Be Removed”
Farmers say high prices are forcing them to reduce purchases and apply less urea or ammonium nitrate than their crops require.
One farmer said JSC Azot’s products should reach agricultural producers through a shorter and more transparent supply chain.
“Unnecessary middlemen must be removed, and farmers should be able to buy fertilizer directly or through regulated outlets,” he said. “This was already done with cement when intermediaries artificially increased prices.”
“The plant produces fertilizer and farmers need it, but there are too many intermediaries between them, and each one adds a markup,” he added.
Farmers say that as long as fertilizer passes through several intermediaries and becomes more expensive at every stage, agricultural producers will continue to purchase less than they need.
That, they warn, will lead to lower crop yields, higher production costs and reduced farm incomes.
