5:05:22 PM | 8/10/2008
Vietnam spent US$1.3 billion on importing 2.7 million tons of fertilizers in the first nine months of 2008, up two times in value and 2.7 per cent in volume compared to the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ministry said the imports included 639,000 tons of urea fertilizer worth US$253 million, up 40.8 per cent in volume and 2.2 times in value. Import urea fertilizer prices were averaging at US$397 a ton, up 53 per cent on year.
During the time, the country also spent US$325 million importing 360,000 tons of DAP fertilizer, up 2.2 times in value and 14.1 per cent in volume, with import prices averaging at US$903 a ton.
Meanwhile, import of SA fertilizer was 586,000 tons worth US$159 million, and import of NPK fertilizer was 161,000 tons worth US$92.5 million.
The country also imported 952,000 tons of other kinds of fertilizer, valued at US$482 million.
Vietnam is estimated to need around 870,000 tons of urea fertilizer in the 2008/2009 winter-spring crop, of which the southern region needs 480,000 tons, the central needs 110,000 tons and the northern needs 280,000 tons.
The ministry said the urea fertilizer will be selling for around VND8,000-9,000 per kilogram in October. (Countryside Today, Vietnam & World Economy)
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