It’s a surprise to only a few at this point to hear we’re currently at a 20-year high in the fertilizer markets. The reasoning comes from a combination of things, but as Ryan Furtas, market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry explains, a hike in crop prices, an increase of feedstock costs, and as we… Read More
There are many input decisions to be made at any given time on the farm. Some of those decisions have to be made in-crop, such as for crop protection, while others happen well-ahead of the growing season, like those on fertilizer and seed. Based on supply chain issues, major price increases, and potential product shortages,… Read More
It’s time for the season finale of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. On this live broadcast, University of Guelph professors Dave Hooker and Francois Tardif join host Shaun Haney to talk three hot topics that are sure to grab growers’… Read More
The news is not good this fall. The rising cost of food and housing is eclipsed by the rising cost of energy both here and abroad. Supply chains are disrupted, and global supplies of everything from electronic chips to dishwashers is uncertain. In the face of it all, farmers are having to make decisions regarding… Read More
It wouldn’t be 2021 if a product shortage wasn’t yet again making headlines. This time, it’s fertilizer — phosphorus, to be exact, as China plans to essentially eliminate phosphate exports through to June 2022. Josh Linville, director of fertilizer with StoneX, recently joined RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney to discuss the latest developments, and why… Read More
There’s never a dull moment in the fertilizer market and it’s hard not to wonder what will be in store for producers for the 2022 crop year. Josh Linville, director of fertilizer at StoneX, recently joined Shaun Haney on RealAg Radio to discuss the fertilizer markets, including what’s happening with tariffs. During Linville’s last conversation… Read More
Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals Inc.’s Chaplin, Sask., facility is set to receive an upgrade. The company is moving forward with a $220 million upgrade to its sodium sulphate plant, expanding capacity to produce 150,000 metric tonnes of sulphate of potash (SOP) per year. The combination of sodium sulphate with Saskatchewan-produced potash will produce high-value SOP… Read More
The U.S. government is moving ahead with countervailing tariffs on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco and Russia following a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling on March 11 which sided with American fertilizer producer Mosaic. The ITC decision clears the path for the U.S. Department of Commerce to begin levying duties of 19.97% on imports from Moroccan… Read More
If you’re looking at the price of fertilizer and growing conditions and wondering if it’s the year to either pull rates back or put the hammer down, this episode of The Agronomists is for you. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, and Steph Berlett,… Read More
Covering all the countries and the fertilizers they produce — from Moroccan, Russian, U.S., Canadian, even Belrusian — Josh Linville, of StoneX, extensively covers the fertilizer markets in this RealAg LIVE! Don’t forget to tune into RealAg LIVE! every weekday at 3pm E, 1 pm M on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch! SUMMARY Linville graduated… Read More
When it comes to farming, there are many moving parts and uncontrollable variables. How do you manage all the risk? Steph Berlett of Agromart Group says that we have to do everything in our power to manage the variables that are in control. “Everything we do in farming is risk management. We’re banking on the… Read More
There are some aggressive targets for a reduction of fertilizer in the new climate plan proposal recently released by the federal government. At first glance, the support of the proposal by Fertilizer Canada doesn’t make a lot of sense. To explain, Clyde Graham, executive vice president of Fertilizer Canada, recently chatted with Shaun Haney on RealAg… Read More
The North American fertilizer industry has been waiting for a decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on the tariff rates of phosphate entering the U.S. These tariffs address Mosaic’s complaint to the DOC that phosphate fertilizer imports from those countries were unfairly subsidized by their respective governments. Final rulings on the rates are… Read More
Fall is often a time when farmers think about pre-purchasing or putting down some fertilizer in order to save a buck and some time in advance of the coming year. For late 2020, fertilizer tariffs on imports into the U.S. is changing the price dynamic and causing some uncertainty. Russian and Moroccan fertilizer companies have… Read More
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has had an impact on the cost of raw materials and energy prices. Due to the plummeting cost of raw materials, growing production capacity, and mediocre demand, there have been pressures on the global price indicators of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to fall either to or near ten-year lows. According… Read More