October 21, 2014 - Jordan and Indonesia have jointly built a phosphoric acid plant in Gresik, East Java, to boost bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector, a top Jordanian envoy says.  Jordanian Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), in cooperation with PT Petrokimia Gresik, built a phosphoric acid plant in Gresik. The plant was jointly inaugurated last week by Jordanian Trade and Supply Minister Hatem Al Halawani, as well as by (former) Indonesian State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan,'€ Jordanian Ambassador to Indonesia Walid Al Hadid told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.  The plant, Ambassador Al Hadid said, is being operated by PT Petro Jordan Abadi, a joint venture of Jordan and Indonesia. Phosphoric acid is a key product in the fertilizer industry.  The JPMC is very interested in the Indonesian market.  '€œWe built this factory with a total investment of US$220 million. Our company has a 50 percent stake and PT Petrokimia Gresik has the rest,'€ the chairman of the JPMC, Amer Al Majali, said.  According to Al Majali, the new plant will produce 200,000 tons of phosphoric acid every year. The entire output from this plant will be bought by Petrokimia Gresik and JPMC will supply the raw material, phosphate.  Confirming Al Majali'€™s statement, Petrokimia Gresik president director Hidayat Nyakman said that after the inauguration of this new plant Indonesia can reduce the importation of phosphoric acid.  '€œWe have been importing a large quantity of phosphoric acid from many countries. With this plant we can reduce our imports. We still have to buy phosphate from abroad,'€ Hidayat told the Post.  Indonesia, an agricultural country, needs 2.5 million tons of phosphate and phosphoric acid annually. Indonesia is currently importing these two products from Morocco, the biggest producer of phosphate in the world, as well as from Jordan and Egypt.  '€œWe don'€™t want to rely on one country. That'€™s why we have been importing phosphate not only from Jordan, but also from Morocco and Egypt,'€ Hidayat said.  Jordan, however, is keen to expand its business in Indonesia.  '€œDuring the inauguration, an agreement was signed by the JPMC and PT Pupuk Sriwijaya in the presence of Minister Al Halawani to establish a similar plant in Aceh,'€ Al Hadid said.  Jordan and Indonesia, Al Hadid said, enjoy a good relationship. Last year their bilateral trade, based on Indonesian statistics, reached a value of $475.12 million.  www.thejakartapost.com