A vessel carrying 21,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser bound for Sri Lanka remains stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the National Fertilizer Secretariat says — though it insists the country has enough urea in hand for the Maha cultivation season.
The ship, which sailed from the United Arab Emirates, is currently anchored in waters near Oman, NewsFirst reported, quoting the Secretariat’s Director, Chandana Lokuhewage. He said discussions are under way to bring the vessel to Sri Lanka.
The stock position
Lokuhewage put current national availability at around 180,000 metric tonnes of urea, which he described as sufficient for the Maha season now under way. About 18,000 metric tonnes have already been distributed to farmers.
Supply of the other main fertiliser is moving normally. A separate vessel carrying 27,000 metric tonnes of MOP — muriate of potash, known locally as bandi fertiliser — has arrived at the Port of Colombo and is being unloaded, the Secretariat said.
Why a ship is sitting off Oman
The Strait of Hormuz has been the chokepoint of this year’s energy and shipping crisis. Iran declared a full closure of the strait in June and in August signalled a shift to a “fully offensive” posture after a US deal window lapsed. Last week, two oil tankers were struck by projectiles near the strait.
Sri Lanka is already feeling the effects at home, with 20 Iranian tankers stranded off the coast without supplies and a dispute among fuel distributors adding to pressure at the pumps.
Not reported
The report does not name the vessel, say how long it has been at anchor, or state who the “discussions” are with or what route is being considered. Nor does it say whether the cargo is at risk, when it would need to arrive to be useful for Maha planting, or what share of the 180,000-tonne stock is already committed.
