Strengthening ties & securing supplies: IFFCO MD on Jordan trip

Being the largest supplier of Phosphatic and Potassic fertilisers to India, Jordan occupies an important place for India and to reiterate the relationship, IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi is on a tour of the country visiting JPMC, in which IFFCO along with IPL have a stake.

During his trip, the IFFCO Managing Director has launched a few new facilities at Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and interacted with the officials and employees. Awasthi took a round of JPMC Plant and visited the Rock Phosphate beneficiation plant, that produces at an average of 5000 MT per day at JPMC, Eshidia.

Awasthi inaugurated a new water system, which will supply water from Al-Jafr to JPMC and JIFCO plants. On the occasion Dr. Mohammad Thneibat, Chairman, JPMC & JIFCO accompanied him.

Sharing details through his official ‘X’ (earlier known as twitter) wall, he wrote, “It was great to be part of the Inauguration ceremony of JPMC Phosphate Processing Pilot Plant for Phosphoric Acid production along with other dignitaries”. Awasthi also was a part of the inauguration of DCS system for PAP/SAP plants at JPMC Plant along with Dr. Mohammad Thneibat.

The IFFCO MD also visited the loading centre of JIFCO at Aqaba Port, Jordan. The material gets transported to various parts of the globe by this port of Aqaba. He met employees working there and also visited the administrative wing to meet employees.

Awasthi wrote, “It was an amazing experience to visit the Gypsum Park where the tree plantation is done by JPMC on the Gypsum stack. Mainly eucalyptus and cinchona trees are planted in this amazing park”.

It bears recalling that last year a high-level delegation led by Mansukh Mandaviya visited Jordan with the objective of securing fertilizers and raw materials, both for short and long term. MOUs were signed with Jordan Phosphate Mining Company (JPMC) for supplies of 30 LMT Rock Phosphate, 2.50 LMT DAP, 1 LMT phosphoric acid for the current year with the Indian public, cooperative and private sector companies.

India has also signed a long-term MOU for 5 years with Jordan for annual supplies of 2.75 LMT of MoP which will uniformly increase every year up to 3.25 LMT. These supplies are crucial for assured fertiliser supply to the Indian farmers.

The IFFCO Group is the largest consumer of phosphates outside Jordan, and one of the strategic partners of the JPMC. JPMC has admitted on records that Indian partners are strategic partners which have contributed all possible technical, financial, and marketing support in promoting capacity building within Jordan.

While IPL has about 27 per cent stake in JPMC, IFFCO through its subsidiary Kisan International Trading (KIT) controls 10 per cent. IPL and IFFCO have jointly bought 37 per cent stake in JPMC for about USD 130 million (nearly Rs 900 crore).