India seeks regular potash supply from Canada

NEW YORK: India sought Canadian government's intervention for streamlining supply of potash fertiliser from the north American country to the Indian buyers.

The issue came for discussion during the meeting of India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Canadian Minister of International Trade and for the Asia-Pacific, Gateway Edward Fast here.

"The Canadian minister flew down to New York to meet... (Sharma)," a statement by Indian Commerce Ministry said.

Sharma said that Canada should view the matter from a strategic perspective. The Canadian, he said, should urge their businesses to enter into long term agreements with the Indian buyers on commercial terms.

Recently, there was a deadlock over import price of the crop nutrient.

Talks over potash imports by Indian companies were stalled due to pricing issue. While suppliers were quoting a rate of around USD 500 per tonne, Indian companies had demanded that the price should not be over USD 420 per tonne.

The two ministers also discussed steps to intensify bilateral interface between the governments and the private sector.

Further, Fast said now that all issues with regard to Foreign Investment Protection Agreement (FIPA) and Bilateral Social Security Agreement (SSA) have been resolved, they could now be signed at an appropriate time.