OREANDA-NEWS. The state-owned Belarusian company OAO Belaruskali has announced a plan to export half a million tonnes of potash fertilizers (in terms of 100% potassium chloride), a company representative told.

According to Belstat, Belaruskali exported 221,500 tonnes of potash fertilizers in Jan 2013, up 31.8% on the year.

Besides potash Belaruskali exports compound NPK fertilizers. The company commissioned a new NPK fertilizer facility with a capacity to manufacture 240,000 tonnes of compound fertilizer per year.

Belaruskali is not happy about potash prices on the global market: they are twice as low as they were in early 2013. They hope the prices will start growing in Q2 2014.

Belarus' potash fertilizer exports reduced 9.3% year on year in January-October 2013 to 2.933 million tonnes, the National Statistics Committee (Belstat) said in a report.

Exports to the CIS states fell 9% to 120,900 tonnes, non-CIS states - 9.3% down to 2.812 million tonnes.

The average price of Belarusian potash fertilizers stood at USD 622 per tonne (down 15%).

The state-owned Belarusian company OAO Belaruskali is one of the world's largest manufacturers of potash fertilizers, employing about 18,440 personnel. It operates the Starobinskoye potash salts deposit and comprises four mine groups, auxiliary shops and support units.

Belaruskali controls more than 16% of the world's potash fertilizer market.