September 12, 2012
Pakistan to halt further urea imports
With the recent Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) decision to import 300,000 tonnes of urea, Fertiliser Manufacturers of Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) has claimed that no further imports are required this year up to the end of Rabi next year due to the country's available urea inventory.
National Fertiliser Development Centre (NFDC) in latest report issued showed urea inventory at the close of July 2012 at around 400,000 tonnes, and with Kharif season demand is coming to end the urea inventory in the country is expected to pile up to above 800,000 tonne by end of September 2012.
Current off-takes trend also highlight that any further imports will add to the already very high inventories, urea off-takes during eight months of 2012 reduced by 5%. It is expected that kharif 2012 off-takes will be down by 11% against last year. Similar trend is expected to prevail during Rabi and with already concluded imports the country does not need any further imports.
Executive Director of FMPAC Shahab Khawaja stated that the country currently will have an inventory of four lakh tonnes of urea and added that the fertiliser industry is looking forward to the Fertiliser Review Committee scheduled next week by the Ministry of Industries.