Fertilizer situation in four countries of Southeast Asia
Wong, C.M.
Extension Bulletin, ASPAC Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, Taiwan 239: 23
1986
Document Number: 625493
This report on the fertilizer situation of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia concentrates on the economic aspects of fertilizer handling on the international and national scale. The main regional developments in the fertilizer economy are due to the strong influence of new producers and exporters, particularly Indonesia which has the capacity for large scale cheap urea production from good natural gas supplies. At the same time, however, Malaysia and Thailand are all heading toward self sufficiency in nitrogen fertilizers using their own natural gas resources. This trend should lead to keen competition for regional export markets, aimed chiefly at China, but with price rationalization Taiwan, the Korea Republic and Japan may be persuaded to close expensive production plants and to import. In Taiwan the urea market balances between good supply to occasional excess when unmarketable production is imported from a joint venture project in Saudi Arabia. The Philippines has constructed a large phosphate fertilizer plant with a reliable source in phosphate rock imported from Nauru. 70-80% of production is expected to be exported to China, India and the other ASEAN countries. Potash still has to be imported from countries outside the region; however, exploration has indicated that Thailand has considerable low grade potash reserves. A pilot project to determine the economic viability of mining and fertilizer production is under way.