Pakistan Fertilizer Industry has organized a dealers’ convention at a local hotel in Lahore.
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC), Fauji Fertilizer Bin-Qasim Limited (FFBL), Engro Fertilizers Limited, Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited and Agritech Limited organized the event.
They arranged the convention to apprise the dealers about the availability of fertilizers and urea imports and to devise a strategy to ensure its availability as per the suggested price.
Mr. Ather Javed, Group General Manager Marketing, Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd, Mr Atif Muhammad Ali (Vice President Marketing, Engro Fertilizers Limited), Ms Rabel Saduzai (Director Marketing & Sales, Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited), Tanveer Raza (Head of Marketing, Agritech Limited) and Mr. Shakeel Ahmad (Advisor Marketing, Fauji Fertilizer Bin-Qasim Limited) among others members of senior management attended. They shared valuable thoughts to devise the future strategy.
The management of fertilizer companies informed the dealers that companies are making all-out efforts to produce fertilizers as per the capacity of manufacturing plants.
In the meantime, the government is also very serious and active in ensuring the availability and supply of fertilizers to the farmers at control rates. The government has taken the initiative of importing Urea to make up for the shortage for the smooth availability of fertilizers to the farmers. The Management of the Fertilizer Industry apprised the participants about the current status of the fertilizer situation, distribution and supply system. They said that with imported Urea by the government of Pakistan, the stock position has improved significantly to meet the fertilizer requirement at the national level.
For immediate supply of imported urea, required arrangements are being completed, and in a few days, substantial volumes of imported urea will also be available in the market. They urged the dealers to refrain from any practices of black marketing, and fertilizer hoarding and ensure sales of fertilizers to farmers on control rates.
This specifically highlighted that the most important and staple food crop of Pakistan is at a very critical stage of Urea use, therefore, all stakeholders need to support the government of Pakistan’s farmer supportive efforts to enhance crop productivity, farmer profitability and National Food Security. This was further reinforced that we need to make collective efforts to contribute to the agricultural and economic growth of the country with a prime focus on attaining self-sufficiency in food production to minimize the import bill. The government has spent foreign exchange to import Urea and Companies are working day and night to ensure fertilizer supplies to meet the domestic demand of the country. Similarly, dealers should ensure the supply of fertilizers at control rates so that wheat production may not be compromised at any cost. The government of Pakistan has fixed a wheat production target of 32 million tons for the current season therefore concerted efforts from all stakeholders are required to achieve this milestone for ending the dependency on wheat imports to meet domestic requirements of food, feed and seed.
The management of fertilizer companies urged the dealers to support the government’s initiatives and the efforts of companies for a smooth supply of fertilizers to the farming community. This was further reinforced that any dealer found in malpractices of product hoarding, black marketing and overpricing will be subject to termination of his dealership by the Company and government agencies will take strict action as per law against such elements.
The fertilizer dealers assured their cooperation in the smooth handling of fertilizer supply and sales to the farmers at the suggested price. They reiterated that all Pakistan dealers will extend their full support to the Government of Pakistan and the Fertilizer Industry for smooth sales of fertilizers by discouraging malpractices. They urged the government for quick and strong action against miscreants who also affect the credibility of loyal and sincere dealers who perform business in an ethical manner.
The convention ended with a positive note of mutual cooperation from all sides to ensure fertilizer supply on control rates as the fertilizer availability situation is pretty balanced with respect to supply and demand.
