Tropical storms reduce ammonia demand in Philippines

06 October 2009 12:10  [Source: ICIS news]

YOKOHAMA (ICIS news)--Demand for ammonia has dropped in the Philippines due to recent tropical storms and typhoons which have brought devastation to vast areas of the country, a source at Philippine Phosphate Fertilizers (Philphos) said on Tuesday.

Typhoon Parma, which hit the Philippines at the weekend, left at least 16 people dead, brought down power lines, destroyed buildings and ruined rice and other crops in Luzon. This came one week after tropical storm Ketsana brought the heaviest rainfall to Manila and its nearby provinces in the past 40 years, leaving 295 dead.

Farmers could not use fertilizers as many agricultural areas were flooded, the source said. As a result, Philphos had not imported ammonia in recent weeks.

However, Philphos’s operations had not been directly affected by the storms, according to the source.

Ammonia demand would increase only when the affected areas recover and planting activities resume, the source added.

Philphos typically imports 10,000-15,000 tonnes/month of ammonia from Australia and the Middle East. The company reprocesses ammonia in its phosphate fertilizer plant at Leyte.

Philphos produces almost 1.2m tonnes/year of fertilizer. The company’s products are sold not only in the domestic market, but are also exported to Vietnam, China, Thailand and Indonesia.

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By: Gabriela Wheeler
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