IFDC Report, Volume 8, No. 1
Abstract
This document describes the successful completion of IFDC's first full-scope technical assistance project, which involved developing, designing, constructing, and manufacturing compound NPK fertilizer at the FPM Sendirian Berhad Granulation Plant. The project was initiated in response to the need for urea-based compound fertilizers in Malaysia, particularly for rubber and oil palm estates. The experiments produced granular NP, NPK, and NPK-magnesium fertilizers using urea as a nitrogen source and unacidulated phosphate rock as a phosphate source. The granules were designed for aerial application and facilitated efficient loading and discharge from aircraft. The granular product was tested through aerial application trials, successfully providing a cost-effective and labour-saving alternative to traditional manual fertilization methods. Subsequently, a joint-venture company was established in Malaysia to produce and market the granular fertilizer. IFDC provided ongoing technical assistance during the project's various phases, including design, engineering, procurement, and startup. The project's success led to establishing of a urea-based NPK granulation plant with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons of fertilizer. The document also explains other initiatives and activities, such as a symposium on potassium in agriculture and the involvement of Dr Ibrahim F. I. Shihata, an IFDC board member in international development finance, and IFDC's technical assistance to the Centro de Estudos de Fertilizantes (CEFER) in Brazil to address pollution and process-related challenges in the country's fertilizer industry.
Description
Keywords
Product development, Oil palm, Compound fertilizers