June 13, 2008
 
China to control surge in calcium phosphates prices

China's economic planner has said it will prevent price manipulation in calcium phosphate, a feedmeal additive, after prices surged recently.

The National Development and Reform Commission has ordered local companies to hike production and directed other major producing provinces to increase supply to the earthquake-hit Sichuan province, it said in a statement published on its Web site Thursday (June 12, 2008).

Sichuan is China's largest calcium phosphate producer, accounting for 40 percent of the country's total production capacity.

However, the recent surge in prices was mainly due to manipulation by several enterprises, and was not a fallout of the earthquake, said the NDRC.

The government will provide fund support and tax rebates to calcium phosphate producers in the quake-hit area, it added.

China produced 2.67 million tonnes of calcium phosphate in 2007, or 62 percent of its total production capacity of 4.33 million tonnes, said the NDRC.