State - run Brazilian oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro ( Petrobras ) will mothball its unprofitable Fafen - SE and Fafen - BA fertiliser plants toward the end of H1 2018 as the country seeks to exit the fertiliser market , said refining director Jorge Celestino . state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro said on Tuesday it will mothball two fertilizer factories towards the end of the first half of the year as it seeks to exit the fertilizer business. Brazil imports 85 % of its fertiliser as it is cheaper than those produced by the two plants in the Sergipe and Bahia states , which posted respective losses of BRL600 m ( $ 183 m ) and BRL200 m in 2017 . No bids have come forward yet for either of the two sites , but there are plans for other units .
State - run Brazilian oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro ( Petrobras ) will mothball its unprofitable Fafen - SE and Fafen - BA fertiliser plants toward the end of H1 2018 as the country seeks to exit the fertiliser market , said refining director Jorge Celestino . Brazil imports 85 % of its fertiliser as it is cheaper than those produced by the two plants in the Sergipe and Bahia states , which posted respective losses of BRL600 m ( $ 183 m ) and BRL200 m in 2017 . No bids have come forward yet for either of the two sites , but there are plans for other units .