First-quarter sales declined by 0.9 pct to LTL 235.04 mln from LTL 237.1 mln in Q1 2005.
"The results were influenced by a rise in the natural gas price, the main raw material," said Mr. Jonas Sirvydis, CEO of Achema AB. "That is why all production and the first-quarter profit declined".
Compared to 2005, domestic sales soared by 54.9 pct from LTL 30.82 mln to LTL 47.74 mln.
"During the last year, we succeeded in adopting the experience of developed Western countries, which proved to be useful," explained Mr. Sirvydis. The supply of fertilisers to the Lithuanian market is continuous now, and prices, just as in other EU counties, are the lowest at the start of the season (June-July) and the highest at the peak of the fertilisation season (April-May).
The growing product demand in the local market has trimmed the volume of Achema's exports: in Q1 2006 exports made up LTL 181.31 mln, down by 12.8 pct compared to LTL 204.61 mln a year ago.
At the end of 2005, Achema launched a new three-year investment plan designed for the manufacture of organic products and resins, energy efficiency and development of an individual power plant.
"The total value of this plan amounts to LTL 0.5 bln, of which 30 pct alone will be allocated for measures to reduce pollution," said the general manager of Achema. "This investment plan will complete the development of fertiliser production".
This year Achema and its partner Molens-Sint Martinas, a holding of stevedoring companies in Belgium, will launch operations of a liquid fertiliser terminal in Ghent. Outfitted with storage tanks with capacity of 30,000 t, the terminal will have technological equipment allowing the operator to tranship fertilisers to vehicle tankers, railway tank cars and river barges.
To test the technological lines of the new fertiliser terminal, the company will deliver its first shipment to Ghent already in late June.
Along with German company Agro Baltic Gmbh, Achema already operates a liquid fertiliser terminal in Luebeck (Germany).
In 2005, Achema AB became one of the first Lithuanian enterprises to receive an integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit. In the European Union member states, IPPC is a way of ensuring the lowest possible damage from operations of enterprises to the environment as a whole rather than to its separate mediums.
In 2000, the company's environmental management system became ISO 14001 certified.
In 1998, the quality management system of Achema received a certificate in accordance with ISO 9002, which at the end of 2003 was revised as ISO 9001:2000
