Pakistan plans to import fertilisers from China from Kharif season

Islamabad: Pakistan is planning to import fertilisers from China for the Kharif (autumn) season crops.

A high-level meeting was told that the demand for urea fertilizer had increased by 3.6 percent compared to the previous year, with an anticipated demand of approximately 3442 metric tons for the Kharif season.

The available stock in the country is approximately 3192 metric tons, resulting in a shortfall. To address this, 0.200 million metric tons of urea fertilizer will be imported, mainly from China, while the rest will be met by increasing production in local fertilizer plants.

All local urea fertilizer plants will remain operational at full capacity to meet local demands, and the government is ensuring a smooth gas supply to the fertilizer industry.

Chairing the meeting, Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain recommended the import of 0.200 million metric tons of urea fertilizer to stabilize prices and supply in the country during the Kharif season-2024.

The decision was taken in the meeting of the Fertilizer Review Committee after analyzing consumption patterns, available stock, and future needs during the Kharif season-2024.

Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasized that the purpose of the import is to ensure food security in the country, increase productivity for country’s farmers, and reduce prices significantly, thereby stabilizing the local urea fertilizer market.

The final decision to import urea fertilizer will be taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in the next meeting soon.