PetroVietnam Fertiliser and Chemicals Corporation has said it would increase fertiliser imports and maintain domestic production to ensure a sufficient supply for the winter-spring crop.

The corporation said that it will keep at least 70,000 tonnes of fertiliser in stock.

Last month, the corporation signed a contract to import more than 40,000 tonnes of fertiliser of various kinds.

The country's production capacity of fertiliser stands at nearly 1 million tonnes, including Phu My Urea Fertiliser Plant with a capacity of 800,000 tonnes and Ha Bac Fertiliser Plant with a capacity of 180,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Industry of Trade's Domestic Market Department.

Two new fertiliser plants are expected to be put into operation by year-end, including the Ca Mau Fertiliser Plant with a capacity of 800,000 tonnes a year and the Ninh Binh Fertiliser Plant with a capacity of 560,000 tonnes a year.

The two new plants will increase the country's fertiliser output to 2.34 million tonnes, exceeding the domestic demand of 2 million tonnes a year.

Prices of fertiliser have risen dramatically during the last few weeks due to global price hikes in fertiliser, said Nguyen Dinh Hac Thuy, deputy chairman of the Fertiliser Association of Vietnam.

The wholesale price of Phu My urea fertiliser rose to 11,000 VND from 10,300 VND on September 1./.