TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned fertilizer company PT Pupuk Indonesia through its subsidiary PT Pupuk Kujang is hoping to embark on cooperation with the Laotian Government to build an NPK fertilizer factory in that country.
"Laos has potentials reserve of potassium, a basic material for NPK, a complex fertilizer comprising primarily three nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium," said the director of PT Pupuk Indonesia Djohan Safri in Cikampek, on Friday, July 28.
"Laos has fairly large resources of potassium, an important component for NPK fertilizer. Potassium is an important component for fertilizer as a basic material for KCl in NPK," he added.
Djohan also said cooperation between the two sides is realized in a number of concepts such as in mining license under which potassium mines is to be operated by PT Aneka Tambang Tbk, an Indonesian state mining company, to be processed into KCl by the Pupuk Indonesia Group.
"And building an NPK factory in Laos to be close to the source of basic material. Urea and phosphate we could supply from our factory in Indonesia. The NPK production could sold in Laos and nearby countries," he said.
Djohan said the program is still in the phase of study, but the Laotian government has indicated approval and support.
The Laotian farm sector still needs large supply of fertilizers mainly urea, as that country has no fertilizer factory yet. All fertilizer requirement of that country is imported.
"This certainly is an opportunity for Pupuk Indonesia. Through Pupuk Kujang, we are ready to help in training and educating the local farmers especially in balanced fertilization," Djohan said.
ANTARA