ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: The ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) has asked importers to inform the ministry latest by November 10 for importing urea. An official announcement on Tuesday said that a mechanism would be evolved following the feedback from the interested importers who wanted to import urea.

The Economic Coordinating Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has already allowed import of 0.2 million tons of urea (fertilizer). The government earlier only allowed the Trading Corporation of Pakistan to import it.

A committee has also been constituted under the chairmanship of deputy chairman, Planning Commission, Dr Muhammad Akram Sheikh, with its members included the chairman of the Central Board of Revenue and representatives from Minfal and finance.

The committee would devise a mechanism for the import of urea by the private sector as well.

The total consumption requirement of urea in the country was in the range of 2.6 million tons, while the local production is around 2.2 million tons. The difference in the consumption and local production is met through the import every year.