Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged the PetroVietnam Fertiliser and Chemicals Corporation (PVFC) and its Phu My Fertiliser plant to develop products which are in short supply in Vietnam in an effort to gradually ease the country’s reliance on imports.

At present, 24 percent of Vietnam’s fertilizers and other chemical products are still imported from other countries to meet local demand, Deputy PM Hai said at a ceremony to award the State’s Labour Order, first class to PVFC and Phu My fertiliser plant in Ho Chi Minh City on March 26.

He said PVFC should improve its competitiveness and corporate governance to efficiently deal with the increasingly fierce competition at home and abroad, especially when the country’s free trade agreements with regional and global partners are due to be signed.

Hai elaborated that Phu My fertiliser plant operating as scheduled has helped meet 40 percent of domestic nitrogenous fertiliser demand for agricultural production.

With its Phu My and Ca Mau fertilizer plants, the PVFC has to date supplied 70 percent of nitrogenous fertilisers to the market, helping stabilise domestic supply and ensure national food security, Hai said.

Since its establishment, the PVFC has churned out over 6 million tonnes of Phu My fertilizer.

It has also contributed more than 550 billion VND (26 million USD) to social welfare programmes and built over 16,000 houses for the poor and dozens of health care and educational facilities.

At present, 24 percent of Vietnam’s fertilizers and other chemical products are still imported from other countries to meet local demand, Deputy PM Hai said at a ceremony to award the State’s Labour Order, first class to PVFC and Phu My fertiliser plant in Ho Chi Minh City on March 26.

He said PVFC should improve its competitiveness and corporate governance to efficiently deal with the increasingly fierce competition at home and abroad, especially when the country’s free trade agreements with regional and global partners are due to be signed.

Hai elaborated that Phu My fertiliser plant operating as scheduled has helped meet 40 percent of domestic nitrogenous fertiliser demand for agricultural production.

With its Phu My and Ca Mau fertilizer plants, the PVFC has to date supplied 70 percent of nitrogenous fertilisers to the market, helping stabilise domestic supply and ensure national food security, Hai said.

Since its establishment, the PVFC has churned out over 6 million tonnes of Phu My fertilizer.

It has also contributed more than 550 billion VND (26 million USD) to social welfare programmes and built over 16,000 houses for the poor and dozens of health care and educational facilities.-VNA