OCP SA, Casablanca, on Jan. 24 announced the establishment of a joint-venture company with Spain’s Fertinagro Biotech SL for the production of high-analysis NPKs, as well as fertilizers enhanced with urease inhibitors, bio-stimulant, and micronutrients, for sale to the international market.
The two parties will each hold a 50 percent stake in the new company, which has been named OCP-Fertinagro Advanced Solutions. They plan to build a production facility at Jorf Lasfar, Morocco, which OCP said will have an initial annual capacity of 250,000 mt of specialty NPK fertilizers by 2020. OCP said there would be room for expansion to up to 1 million mt/y of further ranges of enhanced plant nutrition solutions “tailored to specific farming conditions and crop requirements.” The new company also intends to set up advisory services to farmers.
“The joint venture anchors the ambition of both partners to sustainably address the growing demand in enhanced and ‘technology’ fertilizers, and to expand their offerings to farmers worldwide in terms of customized products and services,” said Marouane Ameziane, OCP Group’s Executive Vice-President, Strategy & Corporate Development. He added that the joint venture is in line with OCP’s “farmer centricity” strategy.
OCP completed the acquisition of a 20 percent stake in Fertinagro Biotech last October (GM Oct. 19, 2018). Earlier this month, local media reported that the two companies had formed a 50:50 subsidiary company and planned to build what was described as “an industrial unit” with an initial capacity of 250,000 mt/y (GM Jan 11, p. 26). OCP did not respond to Green Markets for comment at the time.