The meeting was attended by representatives of fertilizer manufacturers and senior officers of concerned ministries.
Sources said the ministry has held several meetings with fertilizer manufacturers who committed to produce additional urea during the Rabi season 2004-05 provided gas is supplied to them without interruption.
Accordingly, the ministry directed gas companies to avoid gas loadshedding during winter to ensure maximum production of urea to overcome shortage.
According to these sources, the Fauji Fertilizer representative apprised the meeting that gas supply to their plants was satisfactory, adding that the FFC has produced 51,000 metric tonnes of additional urea by December 15 against the target of 45,000 tonnes.
He hoped that the overall target set by the government for the Rabi season would be met if plants remain on-stream.
The FFC will produce 2,084,000 metric tonnes of urea in 2005, indicating an increase of 66,000 metric tonnes. They have also postponed their annual turnaround, which was scheduled in November. However, their annual turnaround of one plant will be done in second half of March 2005.
The FFBL managing-director informed that urea production was suspended for 10 days for unplanned shutdown in ammonia plant. However, the plant was presently back on stream. Gas supply was adequate and was expected to remain so during the remaining winter season.
Their ammonia plant is operating at 102 percent, whereas urea plants was operating at 115-117 percent production capacity.
The Engro Chemical Pakistan representative informed that their plant was already operating at full capacity and as such they have not committed any additional urea production. He further informed that due to their annual turnaround in January 2005, production of 20,000 tonnes of urea would be affected. The representative of Dawood Hercules informed that they would start additional production of urea from January 2005, after completion of plant repair.
The representative of ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal), briefing the meeting, said if balance 60,000 metric tonnes of imported urea arrives up to mid of this month, then there would be no shortage.
The representative of ministry of industries and production asked all concerned to ensure that fertilizer plants were operating at full capacity and producing additional urea as per their commitment.
The matter of import of balance quantity of 60,000 metric tonnes of urea was also discussed with the TCP authorities who conformed that 30,000 metric tonnes of urea is arriving in the first week of January, whereas 30,000 metric tonnes would arrive by January 15.