Pusri to raise urea output

JAKARTA (JP): PT Pupuk Sriwijaya (Pusri), a state-owned fertilizer producer based in Palembang, South Sumatra, will raise its annual urea fertilizer production to 7.48 million tons by 2005 from about 6.16 million tons at present.

Suhardin, the company's production director, said in Palembang yesterday that domestic demand for Pusri's urea, which is currently increasing 4 percent a year, was expected to rise to 6.6 million tons in 2005.

He said Pusri had the potential to export the excess to the Asia-Pacific market, which is currently experiencing a shortfall of about 7 million tons short every year.

"Indonesia has the opportunity to export to China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand," Suhardin was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said Pusri also produced Amoniac with a production capacity of 1.49 million tons per annum. (das)