GPIC president chairs IFA Asia-Pacific session

Manama, Oct. 30 (BNA): Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC)'s President Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery has chaired the "2018 IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific" conference opening session organized by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) held in Singapore The Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) took part in the 2018 International Fertilizers Association's (IFA) Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore on October 23-25. The company's delegation was led by its President, Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, who said that GPIC is always keen to attend such conferences and events that are related to the nature of the company's business. The event was of strategic importance as the Asian and Pacific markets are expected to grow by an estimated three percent per annum that will encourage Gulf companies to increase their fertilizer production. He said discussions during the event focused on the 2030 IFA strategic plans and proposed scenarios and initiatives were reviewed. Dr. Jawahery commented that global rapid growth creates greater constraints on natural resources and nowadays, new technologies change people’s lives faster more than ever. He continued that the global fertilizer industry determines its future by embarking on a long-term strategic planning process using methodologies to focus on the most important issues it faces, which includes securing the world’s food supplies. With increasing demand for food, he said, there is need for an increase in agricultural production, especially because there is limited agricultural land, especially as the world population is expected to reach about 10 billion by 2050. Dr. Jawahery outlined the challenges facing the fertilizer industry, pointing out that the high demand for fertilizers necessitates the provision of different types of fertilizers and raw materials by providing additional energy. He praised the important role of the fertilizer sector in the Arab countries, which has been able to consolidate its position in the global market due to an abundance of raw materials, including natural gas, phosphate and potash. The conference was attended by more than 400 participants and discussed key topics related to the fertilizer industry, including the importance of health and safety and the best ways to care for soil and increase fertility and production. It also discussed the future of Asian and Pacific markets and dealing logically with the goals of sustainable development and climate change. The conference discussed ways to strengthen links with farmers, agricultural risks in the Asia-Pacific region, product stewardship as well as nutrient contamination in the Asian marine ecosystem and proposed solutions to address these issues. The conference held a session on the outlook for Southeast Asian markets and enhanced nutrient performance, as well as the importance of global communication and implementation of policies to address climate change in the agriculture sector. A report by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) indicated that the export-oriented fertilizers sector in the GCC region will play a crucial role in promoting global food security and empowerment. According to the report, new additions to the production capacity of ammonia and urea products will be central to the agricultural sector in South and East Asia, which are densely populated and often lack natural resources to produce fertilizers that contribute to raising soil productivity. The global demand for urea is expected to grow 6 per cent between 2018 and 2022, from 177 million metric tons in 2018 to 188 million tons in 2022. In contrast, the growth in supply will be 5 per cent, up from 188 million tons in 2018 to 197 million metric tons in 2022.