HANOI (Xinhua): Vietnam is forecast to import some 150,000 tonnes of fertilisers for the upcoming Summer-Autumn crop, according to a local trade agency on Thursday.

Vietnam's demand for fertilisers for the crop is estimated at 650,000 tonnes, of which 500,000 tonnes will be met by domestic products, the Trade Information Center under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said, noting that world prices of fertilisers are increasing.

Vietnam imported 999,000 tonnes of fertilisers, totaling 375 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, posting respective year-on-year surges of 18.2 percent and 106.1 percent, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

Between January and March, Vietnam imported 160,000 tonnes of urea worth 51 million dollars, up 23.6 percent and 50.7 percent, respectively. It is forecast to import some one million tonnes of urea this year, up from 749,000 tonnes last year, the center said.

In 2008, Vietnam's demand for urea is estimated at nearly two million tonnes, but urea producers in the country can produce 880, 000-900,000 tonnes of the fertilizer.

Vietnam, currently having no diammonium phosphate (DAP) plants, will import some 600,000 tonnes of DAP this year, the center said, noting that the country's first DAP factory in northern Hai Phong city will become operational in mid-June, and produce 100,000 tonnes of the fertilizer in the second half of the year. Fertilizer makers in Vietnam can turn out around 1.6 million tonnes of phosphate and 2.2 million tonnes of nitrogen-phosphate- kalium (NPK) in 2008, meeting the country's demand for the two kinds of fertilisers.

Vietnam imported nearly 3.8 million tonnes of fertilisers, totaling 996 million dollars, mainly from China, Indonesia, Russia, the Middle East, Japan and Canada, in 2007, up 21.6 percent and 44. 9 percent, respectively, against 2006, said the statistics office.