Vietnam spent US$1.029 billion importing 2.185 million tons of fertilizers in the first six months of 2008, up 130.9 per cent on year in value despite a slight rise of 17.8 per cent in volume, report by the General Statistics Office (GSO) showed.
Of the total, the country used US$214 million to import 553,000 tons of urea fertilizer, up 158.3 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively, against the same period of last year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the country also imported 352,000 tons of DAP, 480,000 tons of SA, 153,000 tons of NPK, and 782,000 tons of other fertilizers during the past six months.
Soaring prices of fertilizer imports were the major reason for the sharp increases of revenues, the ministry said, adding that the prices surged from 47 per cent to 150 per cent on year.
China, which has raised its export fertilizer taxes by 100 per cent, was the biggest fertilizer supplier of Vietnam, accounting for 55.8 per cent.
Local media reported that Mekong Delta farmers are now hard hit by low quality fertilizers, affecting plants like coffee and paddy.
Some 7 out of 28 samples in Tien Giang province, and 11 out of 14 samples of fertilizers in Dong Thap province were of low quality.
Meanwhile, police of Dak Nong province are investigating a fertilizer producer which allegedly sold poor quality fertilizer to coffee farmers.
The Vietnam Fertilizer Association has asked for permission from the Government to set up a fertilizer storage in Mekong Delta in order to ensure sufficiency and stabilize prices at the country&rsquos granary.
Once permitted, the storage will be built in Can Duoc district, Long An province, with total capacity of 200,000 tons. (GSO June Edition, Vietnam Economic Times)
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