JAPAN’S agriculture minister agreed on Friday with Malaysia’s state-owned oil company Petronas to secure a continued and stable supply of urea, amid serious disruptions in global energy and fertilizer trade triggered by the Middle East conflict.
Norikazu Suzuki, who heads the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, made the request to Petronas regarding the key raw material for fertilizers. Sazali Hamzah, an executive vice-president of the firm, assured the Japanese delegation at the outset of their meeting, “Petronas will ensure that the urea supply to Japan will always be protected.”
More than 70 per cent of urea imported by Japan come from Malaysia, according to the Japanese ministry.
Suzuki, who met the Petronas delegation led by Sazali, said Petronas agreed to discuss with the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations an extension of the current twoyear contract to supply urea to Japan.
During his Malaysia trip, Suzuki met several importers of Japanese products and promoted Japanese rice. He also visited a store of Jaya Grocer, a local premium supermarket chain, where he toured sections selling Japanese fruits and beef.
Kyodo
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