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At least two more DAP-making units needed

LAHORE: Federal Food and Agriculture Secretary Dr Zafar Altaf Sunday said that the country needed at least two more phosphatic fertilizers factories to meet the demand of Di-ammono Phosphate fertilizer.

"FFC-Jordan factory, which recently became operational in Karachi, wil be able to only meet one third of country's annual needs of one million tonnes DAP fertilizer," he told reporters after chairing a seminar on Effective Micro-Organism Technology here.

He said that the country would have to import 650,000 tonnes of the DAP annually in the present circumstances.

Regarding the availability of fertilizers for the Rabi season, he said that there was no shortage of Urea or DAP fertilizers in the country this year.

To a question about the new support price of the Sunflower produce, he said that the solvent units owners had agreed to buy the sunflower produce at a rate from Rs 550 to 600 per 40 kg from the growers.

"However, the growers will also have to ensure the purity of the produce; the sunflower seed should be free from all sorts of contaminations," Dr Altaf said.

He said that the recently sown wheat crop was in good condition.

"There will be no irrigation related problem for this crop," he added. APP