Bangladesh has approved a deal to buy 70,000 tonnes of phosphate fertiliser from OCP Nutricrops for nearly $56m. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved the deal, according to the state news agency BSS. The deal covers 40,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and 30,000 tonnes of triple superphosphate (TSP).
The DAP will cost $891.67 per tonne, bringing the total value to about $35.7m. The TSP will cost $677.33 per tonne, for a total of about $20.3m.
The two deals are worth about $55.99m, or 520.9m dirhams.
BSS said the committee “approved proposals for importing a total of 110,000 tonnes of fertiliser from Saudi Arabia and Morocco.”
The committee also approved the purchase of 40,000 tonnes of granular urea from Saudi firm Sabic Agri-Nutrients.
The urea will cost $421.67 per tonne, putting the value of the deal at about $16.9m.
The three purchases bring the total amount of fertiliser approved on Wednesday to 110,000 tonnes. OCP Nutricrops will supply 70,000 tonnes, while Sabic Agri-Nutrients will supply 40,000 tonnes.
The meeting was the 37th meeting of the purchase committee this year. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the meeting in Dhaka.
Bangladesh approved another purchase from OCP Nutricrops in June. That deal covered 30,000 tonnes of TSP at $713 per tonne.
The new price of $677.33 per tonne is about 5% lower.
OCP Nutricrops and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) have worked together since 2008.
Their supply agreement allows Bangladesh to buy up to 1.3m tonnes of phosphate fertiliser each year, including up to 750,000 tonnes of TSP.
Trade between the two countries has also grown. Exports from Morocco to Bangladesh reached $1.07bn in 2024, compared with $407.2m in 2023.
Phosphate fertilisers and inorganic chemical products made up more than 95% of those exports.
Bangladesh is the biggest national market for phosphate fertiliser exports from Morocco, with more than $462m in shipments in recent years.
The OCP Foundation also has a three-year agreement with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Agriculture. The programme focuses on soil health, better use of fertiliser and training for farmers.
DAP provides nitrogen and phosphorus to help crops develop strong roots. TSP provides phosphorus, while urea supplies nitrogen for plant and leaf growth.
