DAP fertiliser factory shut down amid ammonia shortage

The factory usually procures ammonia from CUFL and KAFCO

State-owned fertiliser factory DAP Fertilizer Company Limited (DAPFCL) has been closed due to an ammonia shortage.

The DAP fertiliser, factory located in the Rangadia area of Chattogram’s Anwara Upazila, halted production on Saturday evening, said the company's Manager (Administration) Md Alamgir Jalil.

He told bdnews24.com, "Our production uses ammonia collected from CUFL (Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited) and KAFCO (Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited). We have faced an ammonia shortage since the closure of the two factories last month. Due to this, production has been suspended.

DAPFCL, under the control of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), launched commercial production of DAP fertiliser in 2006.

According to the company's website, each of the two units of the factory has a daily production capacity of 800 metric tonnes of DAP fertiliser.

Factory officials said that the company procures ammonia gas, one of the ingredients for making DAP fertiliser, from CUFL and KAFCO. But since Mar 4, production at the two factories has been suspended due to a gas shortage.

This has had the knock-on effect of an ammonia shortage. As a result, production at the DAP fertiliser factory has also ground to a halt.