The National Fertilizer Marketing Limited (NFML) has pinpointed that the international suppliers have provided Pakistan with sub-standard urea and demanded of the Ministry of Industries to initiate a ministerial-level investigation against the suppliers.
Sources said that NFML has written a letter with regard to cargo conditions and imported urea stock holding policy.
It is on record that the first vessel of imported urea M.V Kaley having a manifesto quantity of 50,560 metric tons, out of 100,000 metric tons arrived at KPT on 21/3/2022 and started its discharge operations the same day in the night shift.
As a matter of fact based on the preceding urea discharge operations in 2018, 2019 and onward, it is to be noted that the average discharge per day of good cargo is 6000 to 7000 metric tons per day.
Factually, on the investigation at the port from the TCP stevedore as well as other concerned persons, personal observation and inspection of the physical condition of cargo in the vessel by the NFML monitoring team members/Karachi port staff, it is affirmed that the urea cargo of the said ship is not of sound condition.
Sources said that the cargo is all the 5 hedges of the ship is in frozen semi-solid condition instead of grains/free-flow conditions due to which the grip of the crane first holds two to three grips and releases it inside the hedge to make it soft and operational for the final grip to be released at the top of bagging plant and then press the cargo with the grip again to soften the lumps of urea.
However, despite this time-wasting exercise the lumps still remain in frozen condition which is the then hammered by the staff of the stevedore in physical exercise due to this slow discharge of urea from a minimum of 2,591 metric tons to a maximum of 4,600 metric tons per day is in process with an average of 1,730 metric tons per shift and 3,460 metric tons per day, instead of average discharge from 6000 metric tons to 7000 metric tons per day of the cargo is in sound condition.
Similarly, leading of urea bags into vehicles, road/rail, for dispatches to the NFML upcountry stores is also slow and less than the planned quantity as per the allocation plan.
Meanwhile, the standard weight per bag of 50kg, excluding the weight of the bag (140 grams) is very difficult to maintain and 200 grams’ variation is observed because of extra moisture and lumps in the cargo so based on this rationale reliance on the average weight of 50/100 plus kg is being monitored from the KPT weighbridge report per vehicle.
The average discharge rate of the vessel may exceed the normal days and the ship may go into demurrages because the remaining quantity to be discharged is 65.79 per cent as mentioned.
In view of the above, investigation at ministry level may be initiated from the international supplier about the unsound condition of the cargo.
The NFML has also suggested that holding such stock of imported urea may not be feasible in the national interest of the government therefore a suitable economical sale procedure/policy may be adopted to avoid any further financial loss to the national exchequer if deemed fit by the management.
Secretary industries and production informed that “We took it up with the Ministry of Commerce and TCP immediately after NFML’s report to ensure the quality of the imported urea since it’s their responsibility adding that he said that they have reported us in the affirmative regarding the good quality of the imported urea”.
The scribe also approached Chairman TCP Rafeo Bashir Shah for his comments on this matter but no reply was received till finalization of story.
great reporting shahzad sb