Category: Agricultural

Ammonia sentiment was overtaken this week by the escalating Middle East conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which left vessels unable to enter or exit the Arabian Gulf. With maritime trade frozen, price indications for prompt Middle East business largely stalled. In normal conditions, the sudden removal of Gulf export flows would point to sharply higher prices, particularly given the already-tight global availability and surging urea values, but participants said the absence of tradable cargoes made it difficult to pin down an indication. The immediate knock-on was felt East of Suez, where the supply shock pulled southeast Asian values back up to around $470-480/t f.o.b. Prevailing length in the market has been reportedly absorbed, with buying interest strongest from east Asia and India.

A Ukrainian drone attack hit the Dorogobuzh nitrogen fertilizer plant, around 140 km east of the border with Belarus in the western Smolensk region, according to local press reports. At least seven people were killed and another 10 injured, according to Russian authorities. It appears that the nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants were targeted, as well as facilities involved in the storage and transportation of ammonium nitrate, leading to extensive damage. The strike is part of an ongoing campaign by Ukraine against Russia’s oil, gas and chemical facilities.

At the CRU Nitrogen + Syngas conference, CRU spoke with Syed Aamir Abbas, Chief Technical Officer at Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC), about how Pakistan’s fertiliser sector is navigating tightening natural gas availability and what that means for future supply security.

CRU’s Nitrogen+Syngas Expoconference 2026 returned to Barcelona for its second year running to discuss the state of the industry, both economically and technically. The opening included a tribute to Casale’s late Dr Umberto Zardi by Norbert Ringer of Clariant and Lisa Connock, Managing Editor of Nitrogen+Syngas magazine. Dr Zardi, whose obituary we carried in issue […]

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) says that the Ministry of Energy has approved the allocation of feedstock for its fourth phosphate project. This project aims to produce approximately 1.1 million t/a of ammonia and increase the production of phosphate and specialty fertilizers by about 2.5 million t/a, raising the company’s total production capacity to nearly 12 million t/a. This will further solidify Ma’aden’s position as one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate fertilizers, according to a company statement. Ma’aden will now commence engineering studies and obtain the necessary approvals.

Syria restarted a phosphate production site in Homs province after a decade-long shutdown, according to local media reports 25 November. The washing and drying facility is part of Syria’s Al-Sharqiya mine. The Syrian government has indicated that it plans to increase its presence in global phosphates market as part of efforts to support the country's economy.

Syria’s Geological and Mineral Resources Authority has signed an agreement with Teryaq, a subsidiary of Serbia’s Exlixir Group, aimed at exporting 1.5 million t/a of phosphate by the end of 2026. The agreement marks a significant step in Syria’s efforts to expand international partnerships and optimise its mineral resources for economic gain. Elixir Group owns the largest phosphoric acid plant in Europe and operates three fertilizer plants in Serbia.

Chatham Rock Phosphate has agreed to sell its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Avenir Makatea Pty Ltd to Austure Industries Pty Ltd for A$1.4 million, including A$900,000 in cash over a 24-month period, and a 20% shareholding in Austure Phosphate AU Pty Ltd, a newly-formed subsidiary of Austure, to establish a mono- and dicalcium phosphate manufacturing plant in Cloncurry. Colin Randall, Chatham Executive Director has been appointed a Director of Austure Phosphate AU Pty Ltd.

Flash floods in the Moroccan port city of Safi killed at least 37 people in December and injured many others, with knock on effects also likely to impact exports from phosphate producer OCP. Jorf Lasfar is the phosphate giant's main export hub for phosphate fertilizers and phosphoric acid, while Safi exports smaller volumes of phosphoric acid, TSP and animal feed products. Phosphate rock exports are largely concentrated at the port of Casablanca further north. OCP produces around 420,000 t/a triple superphosphate and 1.63 t/a phosphoric acid at Safi, as well as around 62,000 t/a dicalcium phosphate and 70,000 t/a monocalcium phosphate.

Mosaic has started activities to idle single super phosphate (SSP) production at its Fospar and Araxá facilities in Brazil due to the recent sharp increase in sulphur prices, the company said 16 December. The company said it has also suspended future purchases of sulphur, and it may review these decisions after 30 days. Sulphur spot prices in Brazil were assessed by CRU at $515/t c.fr at the time, representing the highest level since June 2022, and a staggering 180% increase from the figure of $182/t c.fr at the start of 2025. Prices for SSP, however, have been relatively stable, with only slight increases in recent weeks. CRU's assessment for 18-20% SSP was at $200-245/t c.fr Brazil in December, up from $190-240/t in November, though it remains below the $230-265/t of June.