United Nations | Reuters — Belarus told the United Nations on Friday that it would allow, without preconditions, the transit of grain from Ukraine through its territory for export from Lithuanian ports, a U.N. spokesman said. Belarus, used by its ally Russia as a staging ground for Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, said in […] Read more
Belarus to allow Ukraine grain transit with no preconditions, U.N. says
Belarus still wants sanctions lifted off fertilizer
Mosaic to throttle back Saskatchewan potash mine
Demand increasing, but 'slower than expected'
Demand for potash is coming back after “a year of reduced applications” — but not quickly enough that U.S. fertilizer giant Mosaic Co. plans to keep all its Saskatchewan mines running at their current pace. Florida-based Mosaic said Tuesday it has now “temporarily curtailed” production at its potash mine at Colonsay, about 65 km southeast […] Read more
Reasons for optimism seen on renewal for Ukraine grain deal
Deal set to roll over on Saturday
Reuters — A United Nations source on Wednesday said they have reasons to be “cautiously optimistic” on the renewal of a Black Sea grains export agreement, which is set to roll over on Saturday unless there are objections. The U.N.-backed agreement on July 22 allowed grain shipments to resume from certain Ukrainian ports on the […] Read more
Thunder Bay grain shipments up in October
MarketsFarm — The Port of Thunder Bay saw an increase in its grain handle in October 2022, moving 840,000 tonnes during the month. The grain exports were up by 33 per cent from September and up by eight per cent from October 2021, according to a news release. The increase was seen as a return […] Read more
Nutrien cuts 2022 profit forecast again on lower potash prices
Reuters – Nutrien Ltd NTR.TO on Wednesday cut its full-year adjusted earnings forecast for the second time this year as potash prices decline, sending the shares of the world’s biggest fertilizer maker down nearly 5 per cent in extended trading. The company also missed third-quarter profit estimates, hurt by cooling prices of crop nutrients as farmers cut fertilizer application […] Read more
Crystal balls are even more wonky this year
The uncertainty factor is as high as fertilizer prices right now
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers face tough choices about purchasing fertilizer for next year. Buy now? Or roll the dice and hope prices fall? There are reports of price dips in some countries because farmers are balking at the high cost. But the fundamentals aren’t good, said one American fertilizer analyst. “I think prices are going to see continued […] Read more
U.S. barge backlog swells on parched Mississippi River
Chicago | Reuters –– Commercial barge traffic on southern stretches of the Mississippi River was at a standstill on Tuesday as low water levels halted shipments of grain, fertilizer and other commodities on the critical waterway, shipping sources said. The supply chain snarl comes just as harvesting of corn and soybeans, the largest U.S. cash […] Read more
Opinion: The emissions controversy offers an opportunity for both sides
Like many farmers, I’m concerned but also see there’s a way to move forward if we work together
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may have heard the buzz lately. There has been a lot of talk about emissions, environmental impact, and what the future looks like with a changing climate. The past few weeks have been dominated by conversations about the government of Canada’s plan to reduce emissions from on-farm fertilizer use. With little substance revealed regarding […] Read more
U.S. railways to halt grain shipments ahead of potential shutdown
Fall fertilizer traffic also at risk
Chicago | Reuters — Some U.S. railroads will start halting crop shipments on Thursday, a day ahead of a potential work stoppage, an agricultural association and sources at two grain co-operatives said on Tuesday, threatening exports and feed deliveries for livestock. With farmers starting to harvest autumn crops that are shipped to meat and biofuels […] Read more
N may be making your soils more acidic
N fertilizer changes the soil microbiology and that affects how tightly phosphorus is bound
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Prairies have millions of acres of acidic soils, which can cause a host of problems, so no producer wants to make it worse. But many say nitrogen fertilizer does just that, so an expert with Agriculture Canada is trying to find out if that’s true and if so, to put some numbers on the […] Read more