Yara’s headquarters in Oslo. (Yara.com)

Yara to stop buying potash from Belarus due to sanctions

Fertilizer firm buys 10-15 per cent of country's potash output

Oslo | Reuters — Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara said on Monday it will wind down purchases of potash from Belarus by April 1 as international sanctions made it impossible to continue the trade. Yara estimates that it buys 10-15 per cent of the annual output of state-owned Belaruskali, one of the world’s largest producers of […] Read more



Mayo Schmidt, shown here speaking in Winnipeg in 2007, has “left his position” as Nutrien’s CEO and resigned from its board, the company said Jan. 4. (Dave Bedard file photo)

Nutrien makes surprise CEO switch again despite strong profits

Abrupt change 'mighty perplexing' to analysts

Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer producer by capacity, surprised investors by replacing its chief executive on Tuesday for the second time in eight months, even as the company rakes in strong profits. Nutrien said in a statement it named Ken Seitz, the head of its potash business, as interim chief executive after […] Read more

Making N here doesn’t lower price

Reading Time: < 1 minute Don’t bet on fertilizer prices falling before seeding, says a market analyst with Alberta Agriculture. “The most likely scenario for fertilizers is that the current high prices will continue throughout the winter and spring months of 2022,” said Ryan Furtas. Nitrogen production and products, namely ammonia and urea, are mainly produced at Alberta locations but […] Read more


Incentives, in addition to continued education efforts, will be important for meeting targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer, say experts.

There’s a path to reduced fertilizer emissions but it has challenges

More uptake of 4R and better application technology are key but so is providing the right incentives

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer use are possible through 4R nutrient management, according to researchers from the University of Guelph. But while the 4R concept is good (right source, right time, right rate and right placement), truly significant reductions lean heavily on achieving each factor simultaneously, said Claudia Wagner-Riddle, […] Read more

Fertilizer prices to stay high

Fertilizer prices to stay high

Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers, at least those south of the border, won’t see any easing of fertilizer prices until after they’ve got a crop in the ground, according to a new report from CoBank, a major U.S. ag lender. “Fertilizer prices are expected to remain elevated for at least the next six months and throughout the 2022 spring […] Read more


Yara’s fertilizer terminal at Stockton, California. (Sebastian Braum photo, Yara.com)

Yara brings most European ammonia production back on stream

Rising fertilizer prices make resumption profitable

Oslo | Reuters — Yara has brought most of its European ammonia production back on line after prices of finished fertilizers rose to make up for a surge in the cost of gas, the Norwegian fertilizer manufacturer said on Wednesday. The company cut back ammonia production at a number of sites in Europe from September […] Read more

The Blair’s agro centre at Lipton, Sask. (Blairs.ag)

Buyer found for ag retailer Blair’s contested outlet

ProSoils to buy Blair's location at Lipton, Sask.

Crop input retail chain Blair’s Crop Solutions has a deal in place to sell one of its eastern Saskatchewan sites to meet its obligation to federal regulators. The chain, a joint venture between Federated Co-operatives and the Blair’s Family of Companies, announced Monday it will sell its site at Lipton, Sask., about 80 km west […] Read more


(Alexey Rezvykh/iStock/Getty Images)

Farmers ask U.S. Justice Department to probe fertilizer price spikes

Reuters — Farmers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether recent spikes in fertilizer prices are attributable to market manipulation by fertilizer companies, according to a letter sent Wednesday by the Family Farm Action Alliance. The group, which has more than 6,000 farmer and rural members, alleges fertilizer companies are setting prices […] Read more

CF Industries’ UAN plant at Donaldsonville in Louisiana. The company also makes UAN at plants in Ontario, Iowa and Oklahoma. (Thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com)

Fertilizer shortage may lead to spring scramble

'It's next year's prices I'm worried about'

Reuters — A global shortage of nitrogen fertilizer is driving prices to record levels, prompting North America’s farmers to delay purchases and raising the risk of a spring scramble to apply the crop nutrient before planting season. The Texas Arctic Blast in February and Hurricane Ida in August disrupted U.S. fertilizer production. Then, prices of […] Read more