ISLAMABAD: The National Fertilizer Corporation Limited (NFML) has suggested to the government to allow import of urea and DAP fertilizer pattern on the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) which has been permitted to procure sugar from sugar mills.
Managing Director of NFML, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Industries and Production, Waseem Mukhtar made the suggestion while briefing sub-committee of National Assembly of Ministry of Industries and Production its Chairman Mian Abdul Manan in the chair.
Secretary Industries and Production Raja Hasan Abbas also supported the NFML proposal regarding direct procurement of urea.
The NFML MD briefed the committee that urea requirement for Rabi was 0.6 million tonnes of which 0.4 million tonnes was being imported through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and 0.185 tonnes would be imported from Saudi Arabia. He said that Pakistan’s total urea requirement was 3.086 million tonnes of which Punjab’s need was 2.132 million tonnes (69pc), Sindh 0.550 million tonnes (18pc), KPK 0.254 million tonnes (8pc) and Balochistan 0.150 million tonnes (5pc).
Mr Mukhtar said that the TCP had floated tenders for the import of 415,000 tonnes of urea in light of an ECC decision. He informed that the urea would come from China which was expected to reach Pakistan within three weeks. Another 185,000 tons of urea will reach in December whereas 0.1 million tons of urea is available in the NFML warehouse. This implies 0.7 million tons of urea fertilizer will be available for Rabi.