Morocco phosphate fert exports fall almost a third

14 October 2008 15:13  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Moroccan exports of phosphate fertilizers were down by nearly 500,000 tonnes for the January-September 2008 period, on the back of lower demand in key export markets, data from producer Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) revealed on Tuesday.

 

Exports of diammonium phosphate (DAP), monammonium phosphate (MAP) and triple superphosphate (TSP) reached 1.3m tonnes in 2008, compared with 1.8m tonnes year on year.

 

High phosphate prices internationally, plus a lack of available credit for farmers, has hit fertilizer demand in key markets such as Europe, Pakistan, Argentina and Brazil.

 

Morocco’s DAP exports reached 550,900 tonnes in January-September 2008, down 27% on the same period of 2007 when exports reached nearly 760,000 tonnes, the producer said.

 

Exports were down significantly in western Europe (-61%) and Argentina (-63%), it said, adding the largest DAP recipient was Brazil, which accounted for 116,500 tonnes of DAP, or 21% of the total.

 

The country’s MAP exports reached 325,300 tonnes, down by 28% on the same period of 2007 when exports totalled 451,300 tonnes, OCP said.

 

Exports to western Europe were down by 35% to 58,900 tonnes, while exports to Brazil, at 243,800 tonnes, fell by 28%m, it said, adding Brazil remained the largest recipient, accounting for 75% of the total.

 

TSP exports reached 450,200 tonnes, down by 24% on 2007 levels. Most of the drop was accounted for by Brazil, which took 166,000 tonnes, down by 35% on 2007, said the producer.

 

OCP is one of two major North African phosphate producers with Groupe Chimique Tunisien (GCT) also a significant exporter of DAP and TSP.

By: Mike Nash
+44 20 8652 3214

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