2015 - 21th AFA Annual Fertilizer Forum & Exhibition
- Date: 3-5 February 2015
- Committee: Economic
- Place: Hurghada , Egypt
Hurghada city hosted, during: 03- 05/2/2015, in Baron Palace Hotel at Sahl Hasheesh, the 21st International Annual Fertilizer Forum, convened annually by Arab Fertilizer Association, supported and sponsored by AFA Egyptian member companies, under the following slogan:
“40 Years of Promoting Food Security and Combating Hunger”
The Forum synchronizes with commemorating the anniversary of AFA establishment. AFA International Annual Fertilizer Forum is considered to be the most significant economic event on the level of fertilizer industry in the Arab Region and Middle East. The Forum attendance exceeds 450 prominent figures from Arab and international fertilizer companies chairmen, related organizations heads, experts, executives and general directors representing more than 133 companies and associations from 33 countries, namely: Egypt, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, UAE, Sudan, Oman in addition to Australia, UK, Belgium, Ukraine, USA, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Holland, Russia, Pakistan, Singapore …
Since its launching in 1995, the Forum receives all support from the Egyptian government and companies working in fertilizer production thus became an important date on the agenda of fertilizer industry stakeholders.
The Forum main issues include the following:
- Current policy development and its impact on fertilizer industry
- Outlook for World Fertilizer Demand and Supply
- Fertilizer Status in Major Markets and Fertilizer Market outlook
- World Developments Witnessed by Nitrogenous, Phosphate and Potash Fertilizers Markets
- Renewable Energy and Energy Management Approach
- World Food Security and Fertilizers Role in Future Agriculture
- Natural Gas and its Impact on Fertilizer Industry
During the opening ceremony the 2014 AFA award was announced for the best research applied work in the agriculture field, which given to Mr. Al Hussein Moghly, Natural Resources and Environment Division, Hassan II Agriculture and Veterinary Institute, Rabat, Morocco.
Also, the ceremony honored previous AFA Board members.
The Forum was accompanied with an industrial exhibition, in which twenty five Arab and foreign companies, working in fertilizers industry, trade and freight, participate from different countries: Egypt, Bahrain, Germany, Holland, India, Italy and UK. All these companies will present the stat-of-the-art products in fertilizer industry field.
It is noteworthy that the increasing demand on food, nutritional products, fibers and bio-fuel requires raising agricultural productivity, especially in the shed of the limited agricultural lands. Therefore, it is responsible for 40% of the agricultural production in general; without using fertilizers many countries will lose the relative advantage of food self sufficiency in the light of world annual population growth by 80 million people. It is further expected that world population will reach 8 billion by 2030.
2015 is currently witnessing a new cycle in regional and international needs development and fertilizer trade movement accompanied with increase in world demand on agricultural products.
Thus, the challenges encountered by fertilizer industry and the rise in demand necessitate the provision of required amounts of different fertilizers and related materials. This will undoubtedly be surmounted by the additional capacities which entered to the commercial production in 2012/2013 in a number of Arab countries: Qatar, Egypt and KSA together with the expected additional capacities till 2016.
Arab fertilizer sector was capable of entrenching its status in the international markets as a result of its abundant raw materials, including natural gas, phosphate rocks and potash. Fertilizer industry returns are of huge importance to the economies of Arab fertilizer producing and exporting countries, as around 90% of Arab production is mainly directed to exporting for the low consumption rates in the Arab market. Therefore, the fertilizer returns undoubtedly contribute in promoting the economic and social development in the producing countries. To elaborate, the fertilizer total production in the Arab region in 2013 amounted to 88 million tons and exports exceeded 55 million tons.
The Arab region share only represents 30% of gas world reserve and 70% of phosphate rock reserve. Also, the Arab region possesses around 35% of international urea market, 57% of phosphate rock trade
, 52% of super tri-phosphate, 57% of phosphoric acid, 76% of DAP, 6% of potash, 22% of sulphur world exports.
