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Tunisia doubles phosphate output, produces 1.3 million tonnes in Q1 2022

Published

1 year ago

April 3, 2022

In the midst of political uncertainty in Tunisia, the North African country has managed to double the production of phosphate to1.3 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2022.

A senior official in government-owned Gafsa Phosphate told a journalist on Sunday that the new feat doubles what the country achieved during this same period last year.

Phosphate is the natural source of phosphorous, an element that provides a quarter of all the nutrients that plants need for their growth and development. Phosphorous is used in many products and is an essential ingredient in all fertilizers.

According to Statista, “in 2019, the total production of phosphates in Tunisia exceeded 1.1 million metric tons. This represented a peak in the period under review. The country’s phosphate production increased compared to the previous year when it stood at around 813 thousand metric tons.”

Reuters reports that Tunisia was once one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate minerals, which are used to make fertilizers, but its market share fell after the 2011 revolution that eventually spread across the Arab region. Raising the production and export of phosphate would provide a valuable boost to Tunisia, which is suffering a financial crisis and is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Tunisia continues efforts to take back its position as a leading exporter of phosphate to take advantage of a sharp increase in fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine. Gasfa Phosphate’s Production Manager, Rafaa Nssib revealed that the country “aims to produce 5.5 million tonnes of phosphate this year compared to 3.7 million tonnes last year”

Recall that one of the largest fertilizer plants in the world was recently launched in Nigeria. With Tunisia’s progress in the production of phosphate which is a key ingredient for fertilizer production, Africa might be set to rule the world in that space. Hopefully so.

Related Topics:Featured Phosphate Tunisia

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Congo DR: President Tshisekedi visits China for mining renegotiations

Published

2 days ago

May 27, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi is currently on a visit to China to strengthen his country’s partnership with the Asian giant.

An official of Congo DR, Erik Nyindu Kibambe, while addressing journalists in Beijing, revealed that the trip was meant to be for the renegotiation of mining contracts. Kibambe maintained that talks were going “wonderfully.”

The president had previously promised to renegotiate mining contracts, in particular, the one signed in 2008 with China by his predecessor, Joseph Kabila (2001-2019), for better terms in favour of the country.

The president was received by a cheering audience and a line of honour and jubilant children between meetings with Mr Xi and Premier Li Qiang.

Mr. Li told Mr Tshisekedi that he believed “China-DRC relations will surely achieve greater development and benefit both peoples.”

A statement by the Chinese foreign ministry revealed that the countries were upgrading “the bilateral relationship from a win-win strategic cooperative partnership to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.”

Congo is one of the most natural resource-rich nations, holding massive untapped deposits of minerals including cobalt, copper, diamonds and gold amounting to approximately $24 trillion.

China is a major investor in the country where it leads the lucrative mining sector with firms like Sicomines.

VenturesNow

Kenya, IMF agree terms for $3 billion Extended Credit Facility

Published

5 days ago

May 24, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Kenya has reached an agreement that could unlock more than $3 billion of new financing with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The international lender and the country said the agreement could help relieve pressure on government finances in East Africa’s largest economy.

The agreement is the fifth review of Kenya’s External Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements, an extension of the program and augmentation for access under a 20-month Resilience and Sustainability Facility.

Under the agreement, Kenya will get access to $544 million through the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, which is intended to support climate change adaptation and resilience. A total of $3.5 billion had been committed to funding for Kenya under the three facilities, and its executive board would likely consider the staff-level agreement in July.

The IMF stated that the medium-term outlook for the Kenyan economy remained favourable, although the economy had been strained by a challenging external environment. The IMF maintained that the planned fiscal consolidation was appropriate, while also protecting priority social spending.

“Exchange rate flexibility and proactive monetary policy will remain critical to preserving macroeconomic stability and supporting market confidence against the backdrop of a challenging global economic outlook and continued uncertainty in international financial markets,” IMF said in a statement.

Kenya has insisted that it would not default on its debt repayment obligations despite delayed payment of civil service salaries.

The country in April revealed plans to issue a new Eurobond to manage 2024’s maturity of a Ksh270 billion ($2 billion) 10-year bond.