Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: Prices in general fell further in late October. Suppliers in most regions were forced to accept lower than expected net-backs due to low import demand and high producer inventories. India was the exception with IPL securing 1.7 million tonnes of urea at $400-404/t cfr under its 20th October tender.
Citrus fruit growers are an attractive end-market for fertilizer suppliers due to the high K and N requirement of this widely-cultivated cash crop and the efficacy of fertigation and foliar spraying. We examine the nutrient needs of citrus trees and how balanced application of fertilizers helps maximise citrus fruit quality and yield.
A proper fertilization programme is necessary to sustain both citrus productivity and soil fertility over the longer term. ICL agronomists Fabio Vale, William Wang, Patricia Imas and Francisco Morell outline the nutrient needs of citrus fruit – a regionally important crop in the Americas, Europe and China.
The use of low-chloride fertilizers is a proven strategy for managing chloride sensitivity in crops and avoiding excess chloride in soils. ICL offers a wide range of crop nutrient products for this purpose. Patricia Imas, agronomist at the company, outlines the main options.
We profile leading European NPK fertilizer producers. Major ownership changes have taken place within the EU during the last three years. Europe’s NPK producers have also needed to adjust their raw material sourcing in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Applications of chloride-containing fertilizers need to be carefully managed for crops such as berries, broad beans, citrus fruits, nuts, potatoes and stone fruits. Selecting chloride-free nutrient sources instead can offer distinct advantages.
The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) has announced that Tony Will has been elected as the new Chair of the Association. Will is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of CF Industries, a global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products for fertilizer, clean energy, emissions abatement and other industrial applications.
There is growing acceptance and integration of biostimulants into the wider fertilizer and agricultural markets. This is illustrated by rocketing sales, the spate of new product launches, and merger and acquisition activity.
Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: There was a general price upswing for both urea and ammonium nitrate in mid-June, while ammonium sulphate and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) prices remained weak. Urea prices were pushed up in most regions as traders sought to secure cargoes across the globe – resulting in granular urea deals from the Baltic ($260-280/t f.o.b.), Egypt ($312-335/t f.o.b.), Middle East ($253-280/t f.o.b.) and China ($308-310/t f.o.b.).
A review of recent additions to fertilizer product portfolios and new process technologies, as innovation within the industry accelerates to decarbonise production and improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE).