Tunisian phosphate gets caught up in the crisis
as the fifth largest global producer has stopped
all operations since January, including at CPG’s
open pit of Kef Eddour-Metlaoui (pictured)
CPG
The wind of rebellion, which began to blow at the end of 2010 across North Africa and the Middle East sparking some of the most significant political change and potential reforms to hit the region for some time, has already impacted phosphate supply in the region, and is now causing concern in markets further afield.
India, a huge consumer of fertilisers, has very limited resources of phosphate rock domestically. As a consequence, the Asian country has to import most of the raw material needed to manufacture its fertiliser products, with North Africa and the Middle East being the main suppliers.
Of the 2.3m. tonnes of phosphoric acid imported annually for fertiliser requirements in India, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Jordan, Tunisia...