Latest News From Fertilizer

High input prices continue to be a pain point for farmers planning their 2023 crop needs. Experts say the price of natural gas isn’t the only driver fueling the market as farmers look to book their fall needs.

An executive order on biotech and biomanufacturing was signed into law by President Biden on Tuesday. The order tasks Secy. Vilsack with reporting how the initiative can best benefit ag, but some funds are spoken for.

Rail shipments are already starting to shut down ahead of a possible strike which could begin as early as this Friday and it couldn't come at a worse time for agriculture. 

The new 50,000-square-foot production facility will occupy 50 acres and is set to become operational in 2024.

On the heels of acquiring R&D-driven AGVNT, LLC., Summit Nutrients announces its portfolio of six categories of technology aiming to elevate fertilizer to new levels of nutrient use efficiency.

Protivate is formulated with a proprietary blends of nutrients that can be applied directly to the seed for corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, canola, and alfalfa crops.

With this, Yara will have curtailed an annual capacity equivalent of 3.1 million tonnes ammonia and 4.0 million tonnes finished products (1.8 million tonnes urea, 1.9 million tonnes nitrates and 0.3 million tonnes NPK.)

Farmers who don’t comply with the recommendations won’t face any consequences, said the spokeswoman for the ag department. They would, however, forgo financial aid and grants the government made available to farmers.

“I feel like every day is one day closer to having the President declare a climate emergency,” says Newlin. “Once that happens, I don’t know what it will mean for ag, or what it’s going to open up the door to."

Norwegian fertilizer-maker Yara posted slightly higher than expected second-quarter profits on Tuesday and warned there could be shortages of nitrogen-based fertilizers amid high gas prices.

After a year-long investigation, The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced its decision to not issue countervailing and anti-dumping duties on imports of UAN solutions from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago.

U.S. natural gas futures rose 2% to a four-week high on forecasts for hotter weather and more demand than previously expected. Extreme heat already boosted power demand to record highs in several parts of the country.

Gold Eagle Cooperative in Hardy, Iowa suffered a scare on Tuesday afternoon when the bin under its fertilizer building exploded.

Even though animal manure has been used as fertilizer as long as there have been animals, Phinite’s robotic drying system makes the product easier to store, transport, and eliminates any odor.

Crystal Green, by Ostara, has an analysis of 5-28-0 with 10% magnesium to provide crops access to nutrients that remain plant available all season long.

Citing the uncertainty of supply from eastern Europe, Nutrien is accelerating the ramp-up of its annual potash production by more than 5 million tonnes, or 40%, compared to production in 2020.

After hitting record highs, fertilizer prices are finally cooling down.

Yes, the problem could also be a nitrogen deficiency or even a phosphate deficiency. Check out the photos provided to identify which deficiency your crop is encountering now and determine next steps.

Brett Bruggeman says their business starts with the customer, and he’s a believer in segmentation as such identifying customers by appetite to growth, transparency with data, and willingness to advocate.

You may need more nitrogen to fuel this year's crop adequately. Also, cutworms are on the move. Ferrie advises dropping your threshold tolerance to 1.5%.

Fertilizer prices, led by CF Industries, fell in Thursday's trading. Nitrogen prices reportedly plunged 30%, partly due to demand destruction.

Forecasting the demand and facilitating the flow of crop inputs has changed the way these businesses are operating. 

Nutrien announced this week it will build the world’s largest clean ammonia production facility in Geismar, Louisiana, to “decarbonize agriculture.”

Biden says Ukraine has 20 million tons of stored grain awaiting export to various countries. He says lack of port movement coupled with halted planting in Ukraine will ignite a global food crisis unless action is taken.

The White House is expected to announce plans to insure double cropping in 681 more counties and doubling the amount of funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500M during a visit to an Illinois farm Wednesday.

Don't overlook planter applied nitrogen when thinking about nitrogen stabilizers.

Bayer announced it will close the joint venture created between Leaps by Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks in 2017. And moving forward, Ginkgo Bioworks will become a multi-year microbial strategic partner with Bayer.

As input prices climb to alarming levels, Jon Stevens’ decade-long series of input trials is paying dividends in 2022.

Historic prices of fertilizer have farmers looking for alternative solutions in 2022. Here are four possibilities that one day may change the way agriculture thinks about N.

Black swans emerge, to cast shadows of doubt on agriculture’s future

One of the biggest ag supply chain stories this spring has been pesticides. While my experience is these situations are usually overblown early, the situation could alter the way farmers do business in the years ahead.

The March CME/Purdue Ag Economy Barometer posted the weakest farmer sentiment reading since May 2020, as the survey found the biggest concern among producers continues to be “higher input costs."

Livestock farmers, including those who previously paid to have animal waste removed, have found a fertile side business selling to grain farmers. Equipment firms that make manure spreading equipment are also benefiting.

As farmers prepare for planting, supply chain concerns are rampant. Input availability issues could be a factor farmers battle all spring with a recent ag retail survey finding chemistry is in the shortest supply.

A growing number of lawmakers, farm groups and farmers are pleading for assistance from still surging fertilizer prices. One possibility for USDA would be to tap the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act.

Canada's Minister of Labour Seamus O'Regan Jr, who mediated the talks, said normal operations will continue at CP during the arbitration period.

A labor dispute that shut down operations at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd on Sunday is set to aggravate a shortage of commodities, and a prolonged lockdown could hurt farmers ahead of the spring planting season.

Even with Russia removed from the global fertilizer market, it still doesn’t create worst-case scenario. StoneX Group says China could make the situation worse, as China and Russia account for 40% of global phosphate.

The formal inquiry by the Canadian Competition Bureau started in October 2019.

The U.S. is the second or third top importer for each of the three major components of fertilizer. Top producers of the major components of fertilizer include China, Russia, Canada, Morocco and Belarus.

The U.S. is "no where near" having 100% of the fertilizer products farmers need at planting, according to The Fertilizer Institute. Soil sampling and good nutrient stewardship principles are more important than ever.

“The combination of rising fertilizer prices and the desire to impart more on-farm stewardship practices piqued my interest in this program,” said Kasey Bamberger, Partner, Bryant Agricultural Enterprise.

Roughly 3,000 Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CP Rail) workers voted 96.7% in favor of going on strike starting March 16 if a collective bargaining agreement is not penned. CP Rail halts would mean trouble for fertilizer.

Russia’s trade and industry ministry has recommended the country’s fertilizer producers temporarily halt exports, the ministry said Friday, in a sign that sanctions imposed could have a global impact.

Secretary Vilsack supports attorney generals search for answers. He says once the market studies are completed, “we may learn additional steps we can take.”

No matter where you travel across the country right now, farmers share similar concerns. The latest Ag Economy Barometer fell to its lowest reading since July 2020 as the input situation weighs outlooks.

Dept. of Commerce issued a preliminary determination this week showing urea nitrate from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago is being sold into the U.S. at less than fair value. The ruling could open the door for tariffs.  

Nutrien Ltd, the world's biggest potash miner, could boost production by up to 29% in coming years, depending on any sanctions facing rival producers

Recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates in both the U.S. and Canada could take even more truckers off the road. Trucking industry experts warn while empty store shelves could turn into more fertilizer shortages next.

Ukraine is a key player in global agriculture, and how these conflicts play out will have international impacts.