FFBL Faces 22000 MT Fertilizer Production Loss Due To Low Gas Pressure

Low gas pressure has caused a 22,000 metric tonne fertilizer production loss for Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim Limited (FFBL).

In order to maintain the highest gas pressure possible at all fertilizer facilities and produce urea fertilizer as efficiently as possible, the government has instructed the Petroleum Division to take the necessary steps.

Urea fertilizer’s annual off-take was previously anticipated by the Ministry of Food and National Security and Research (M/o NFS&R) to be 6.508 million metric tons.

However, the Food Ministry then updated the projections for the yearly off-take of urea fertilizer due to a greater off-take of urea fertilizer in Mar-23 by 86,000 MT.

It was also mentioned that M/o NFS&R had estimated a requirement for 800,000 MT of imports if both SNGPL-based facilities were shut down by May 31st, 2023.

Additionally, the revised off-take projections were reconfirmed by M/o NFS&R at the request of the Ministry of Industries in April 2023. Is DAP fertilizer pricing in Pakistan putting farmers’ livelihoods at risk?

The Fertiliser Review Committee (FRC) met on April 6, 2023, to assess the issue, and after a thorough discussion, the FRC made the following recommendations.

The M/O NFS&R request to import 200,000 MT of urea fertilizer by May 15, 2023, received support from the FRC.

Additionally, it was advised that continuous gas supplies be given to Agritech and Fatima Fertiliser (Sheikhupura Plant) from May 31 through December 2023.

The government has approved providing gas to these fertilizer plants to increase urea production for the current crop season.