Agri First plant boosts Myanmar NPK production

The official start-up of Agri First's new NPK plant in Myanmar (Burma) on 10 October is expected to help meet growing demand in the country.

The 120,000-125,000 t/yr bulk blend unit in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, near Yangon, had produced over 3,000t as of the end of September, having come on line on 1 August. The facility will produce 18-18-18, 15-15-25, 17-17-10 and 20-20-12 NPK grades, branded as Kujaku and Shwe-O-Zi. The facility is expected to eventually have NPK granulation capacity.

Agri First was set up by private-sector Myanmar Agribusiness (Mapco) and BMM Venture — itself a joint venture between southeast Asian chemicals distributor Behn Meyer and Japan's Mitsui — to build and operate the plant.

Myanmar's NPK market is estimated to be running at around 120,000 t/yr, and is expected to grow. Most demand is met by imports from Thailand and some cross-border sales in the north from Yunnan, China, after international sanctions on Myanmar were lifted.

Before the Agri First plant came on line, domestic production was limited to the steam granulation plant operated by Myanmar Awba Group (MAG) in Yangon. The plant, opened in 2010, is estimated to produce 40,000-50,000 t/yr of various NPK grades with SOP or MOP formulations.