"The petrochemical plant is being built in Deli Serdang with a production capacity of 3,600 tons per year, while actually Deli Serdang already has a similar plant with a capacity of 4,500 tons per year," Sales Supervisor of PT.Petrokimia Gresik for North Sumatra Cahyono said here on Monday.
He said petrochemical consumption had been increasing in the area. While supplies had been obtained from the manufacturers in Java, it is expected that North Sumatra`s organic fertilizer consumption would be met by the producers in North Sumatra, and it may even supply the needs in other areas like Aceh, West Sumatera and Riau.
Cahyo said the use of organic fertilizer in North Sumatra continued to increase indicated in the increasing subsidized organic fertilizer absorption each year.
Last year, for instance, the absorption of subsidized organic fertilizer reached 17,000 of the 58,000 tons allocated for the area.
The absorption in 2010 increased sharply from only 4,000 tons in 2008 and 13,000 tons in 2009.
"Actually it was still below the allocation, but absorption continued increasing," he said.
Another Sales Supervisor of Petrokimia Gresik Ki Hari said this year`s North Sumatra`s organic fertilizer allocation reached 56,000 tons of the planned government`s earlier allocation of 70,000 tons.
Of the planned allocation of 56,000 tons, realization until July reached 7,787 tons.
"Actually it was still low, but up to the end of the year, absorption may reach 30,000 tons, because the peak planting season will take place in November and December," he said.
The price of organic fertilizer had been lowered by the government to still Rp500 from Rp700 per kg with the intention to help the farmers.
Petrokimia itself continues familiarizing the use of organic fertilizer and the city/regency administrations are expected to do the follow suit so that the farmers are not always relying on chemical fertilizers. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
