Viet Nam spent US$628 million on importing 2.34 million tonnes of fertiliser in the first half of this year, surging 24 per cent in volume and 18 per cent in value compared with the same period last year.

In June alone, the country imported 324,000 tonnes of fertiliser, worth $82 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During the six-month period, urea imports reached 228,000 tonnes, valued at $60 million, a year-on-year decrease of 9.5 per cent in volume and 1.4 per cent in value. On the other hand, imports of Ammonium Sulfate (SA) fertiliser saw yearly growths of 9.4 per cent in volume and 6.2 per cent in value to 533,000 tonnes, worth $63 million.

In 2016, the nation imported 4.16 million tonnes of fertiliser, valued at $1.1 billion, down nearly 8 per cent in volume and 22 per cent in value compared with 2015. — VNS