OREANDA-NEWS. September 24, 2012. Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko has demanded that the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) should accelerate potash fertilizer exports in 2012 to at least catch up with the 2011 level, when Belarus exported 4.698 million tonnes (in terms of 100% potassium chloride).

Lukashenko made a statement to that effect on Monday as he met up with BPC Director Valeri Ivanov, the president’s press-service reported.

"Although we had a tough time early this year, it appears we are only 5% behind in money terms compared to the same period of the previous year. I think we can catch up. We are also behind in physical terms. We need to make up for it, by all means," Lukashenko said.

Alexander Lukashenko asked the company director about the distribution of potash fertilizer export quotas between Belarusian and Russian members of the Belarusian Potash Company for next year. "After all, the Russians insisted on an independent audit of the production of potash fertilizers. We agreed that the audit will determine the sales of potassium. Where are we now with this matter? According to my sources, the Russians are very reluctant to increase exports of the Belarusian part of potash fertilizers, although it would be legal," Lukashenko said.

Lukashenko believes that the Belarusian Potash Company needs to optimize its activities. "I do my best to monitor the situation around the company and I see that even some unresolved issues are no longer pressing: there are no conflicts, even disputable issues. Nevertheless, it is necessary to optimize the work and maybe the structure of the company," Lukashenko said.

As reported by the National Statistics Committee, Belarus exported 1.994 million tonnes of potash fertilizers in January-June 2012 (in terms of 100% potassium chloride), down 18.3% on the year. The average price of Belarus-produced potash fertilizer grew 10.7% to USD 742 per tonne.

Established in April 2005, Joint Stock Company "Belarusian Potash Company" (BPC) the sole exporter of potassium fertilizers produced by Belaruskali and Uralkali.

The BPC shareholding structure includes Belaruskali with 45%, Belarusian Railways (5%) and Russia’s Uralkali with 50%.

At the moment, BPC controls 42% of the world’s potash fertilizer market.