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Three leading regional fertilizer producers have come together to create the Southeast Asia Fertilizer Association (SEAFA). The new association formally announced its formation at an industry conference in Bali on 1 April 2026. The founding members are Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) of Indonesia, Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad of Malaysia, and Brunei Fertilizer Industries (BFI) of Brunei Darussalam. Under the founding agreement, Brunei Darussalam will host the association’s secretariat. Pupuk Indonesia has been appointed to provide SEAFA’s first chairman, President Director of Pupuk Indonesia Rahmad Pribadi, with Petronas Chemicals Group providing a co-chair. The chairmanship will rotate annually between the association’s members.

The association has been established to promote cooperation among ASEAN fertilizer producers and strengthen the Southeast Asian fertilizer industry’s standing on the global stage. The association says it will be able to present a more unified voice on fertilizer market and policy developments. This includes strengthening food security in the region and supporting low-carbon, sustainable agricultural production, said Rahmad Pribadi, chief executive of Pupuk Indonesia. A major impetus for SEAFA’s formation is the region’s increasingly complex agricultural challenges, according to Pribadi. “Facing these challenges requires better information, greater awareness, and a shared sense of responsibility from all of us,” he said in a statement on 2 April 2026.

Pribadi also cited escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as a key driver behind the initiative, warning of volatile supply chains and shifting energy needs affecting the agricultural sector. “As global dynamics continue to evolve, it is important for us to keep moving adaptively – to remain agile while ensuring every step remains grounded in the principles we uphold,” he said.

Southeast Asia faces mounting challenges in agriculture, including emissions linked to rice cultivation, which account for around 1% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. The association aims to promote best practices among farmers in the region, particularly in rice production, said Dr Harri Kiiski, chief executive of BFI. The group will also focus on safeguarding fertilizer supply across the region and supporting a more stable market environment, including for urea in the Asia Pacific region.

Beyond supply chain resilience, SEAFA is designed to serve as a platform for strategic collaboration, covering knowledge sharing, innovation in sustainable production practices, low-carbon technology development, and the digitalisation of fertilizer supply chains. In the longer term, the association is open to expanding membership to fertilizer producers across other ASEAN member states, with the aim of strengthening the region’s industry and increasing ASEAN’s contribution to global fertilizer supply stability and food security.

OMV has appointed former BP executive Emma Delaney as its first female chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Alfred Stern from September 1st. She will assume the position for a three-year period with the possibility of a further two years, subject to mutual consent. The Supervisory Board also decided to extend the mandate of Reinhard Florey, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of OMV since 2016, by two years, with the option of an additional oneyear extension, with his term of office therefore initially running until June 30, 2029. Florey has also been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board with immediate effect.

“With Emma Delaney, we are gaining a renowned international executive from the energy sector who will further strengthen OMV with fresh momentum during a period of profound transformation. Due to her professional expertise and extensive international experience, she clearly emerged as the preferred candidate from the search process, in which she also impressed us with her personality,” said Lutz Feldmann, Chairman of OMV’s Supervisory Board.

“The Supervisory Board would also like to thank Alfred Stern already now for the trustful cooperation and for the strategic direction and implementation under his leadership, set to future proof OMV. We wish him all the very best for the future once his mandate concludes as planned.” ■