Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar said that Pakistan will overcome fertilizer shortage with China’s help and improved production.
The minister chaired the fertilizer review meeting. Other participants include representatives from the fertilizer manufacturing industry and officials of Provincial agriculture departments.
The meeting discussed the domestic production and demand of fertilizers for the coming 2022 Kharif (summer) season.
Speaking at the meeting, Bakhtyar said that the government had geared up to ensure a smooth, adequate and timely supply of key soil nutrients to farmers in the upcoming Kharif season and decisions had been made accordingly.
He hoped that like last year, the domestic production of urea will be maintained to fulfill domestic needs, and import of urea from China will help meet additional requirements.
The minister also directed all provincial agriculture departments to prepare district-wise supplies plan as per agronomic demands for the next Kharif season.
He informed that 100,000 tons of urea will arrive from China as the government had imported it to facilitate farmers.
After due deliberations, the forum decided to maintain 200,000 ton urea inventory this month on a pro-rata basis by manufacturers and carrying cost of inventory loss of manufacturing companies will be built in the government’s next controlled prices of urea, said an official statement.
It was told in the meeting that the carrying cost of each urea bag is worth Pakistani Rs 2-3 (two to three).
The Chair also directed the Ministry of Industries to submit a summary of gas supplies from April to June 2022 to northern urea plants in the next economic coordination committee.
The meeting decided to import urea to hedge the country from global supply disruptions, and higher prices amidst the Ukraine crisis. The Ministry of Industries and Production will place the summary in the next Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
