Govt to procure 80,000mt of urea

The government will procure 80,000 metric tonnes of urea to meet the fertiliser’s soaring demand during the approaching Aman season between December and January.

Fifty thousand metric tonnes will be imported from Saudi Arabia and Qatar and 30,000 metric tonnes will be purchased from Karnafuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco). The procurement will cost Tk 168.75 crore.

Wednesday's meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement approved proposals for procuring the fertilizer, Additional Secretary to the Cabinet Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal. Eight proposals were forwarded and approved separately.

Twenty-five thousand metric tonnes will be imported from Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) at a cost of Tk 55.69 crore and similar quantity would be purchased from Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) Q.P.J.S.C at a cost of Tk 55.56 crore through the state-to-state agreements in fiscal 2020-21.

The purchase of 30,000 metric tonnes of urea from Kafco will cost TK 57.50 crore. Urea is the most vital nutrient that contains nitrogen for crops.