The government has decided to import 70,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at a total cost of Tk 484 crore 15 lakh 70 thousand. Of this, 30,000 tonnes will be bulk granular urea and 40,000 tonnes DAP.

The imports were approved at a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held on Tuesday (27 May) in the Cabinet Division conference room at the Secretariat, chaired by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.

Meeting sources said the committee, on a proposal from the Ministry of Industries, approved the import of 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea from the UAE for FY2024-25.

The fertiliser will be bought from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited of the UAE at a cost of Tk 138 crore 16 lakh 50 thousand, or $377.50 a tonne.

On a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, the committee also approved the import of 40,000 tonnes of DAP under a state-level agreement between Ma'aden of Saudi Arabia and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC).

The import from Ma'aden will cost Tk 345 crore 99 lakh 20 thousand, at $709 a tonne.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.