Reuters — Mosaic Co. said Thursday it will reduce fertilizer production until market conditions improve, as a difficult harvest season in North America has led to reduced fertilizer usage. Agricultural companies’ profits have been hammered this year due to an unusually cold and wet weather that has delayed planting season in North America, and lower […] Read more
Mosaic to cut fertilizer production as weather dampens demand
K+S considering sale of stakes in potash, salt businesses
Frankfurt | Reuters — German potash and salt miner K+S said it was looking into selling stakes in its North American businesses because an ongoing cost cutting push would not yield enough savings to reach its debt reduction target. A company spokesman said K+S was considering selling a stake in its Bethune, Sask. potash mine […] Read more
Grain World: Farm consolidation key to increasing yields
Saskatoon | MarketsFarm — Consolidating farms — going from numerous small operations to fewer, but much larger, farms — is central to improving crop yields, according to grain industry observers Neil Townsend and Jason Newton. Townsend is the chief market analyst for FarmLink Marketing Solutions, while Newton is the chief economist and head of marketing […] Read more
Nutrien cuts profit forecast on weak fertilizer demand
Bengaluru |Reuters – Canadian fertilizer maker Nutrien Ltd missed third-quarter profit estimates and cut full-year earnings forecast on Monday, as it battled lower demand for its crop nutrients. Agricultural companies have seen their profits hammered by harsh weather that delayed planting season in North America and a trade war fueled uncertainty that has crimped crop demand. “Nutrien’s third-quarter […] Read more
BHP sets early 2021 for decision on Jansen potash project
Melbourne | Reuters — BHP Group Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, said on Thursday it will make a final investment decision on its long-delayed $17 billion Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan around February 2021. Investors have been awaiting a decision by BHP on whether to go ahead with project, which would be its most significant […] Read more
K+S cuts output on weak potash demand
Frankfurt | Reuters — German mineral miner K+S will cut production of potash fertilizers, dragging core earnings lower, as a halt imposed by China on potash imports dampens global markets. “In the current weak market environment, which is further intensified by the continuing Chinese import bans on the standard potassium chloride product, adjusting production is […] Read more
It’s cheap and plentiful but is elemental sulphur a fertilizer option?
A Calgary company says its compost-based product fits the bill, but you need to think longer term
Reading Time: 5 minutes [UPDATE: Oct. 10, 2019] When you consider the cost and bulkiness of conventional sulphur fertilizers, producers can hardly be blamed for seeking out alternatives to meet their crops’ sulphate needs. One of these alternatives is elemental sulphur — a byproduct of the oil and gas industry that is plentiful and cheap in Alberta. But should […] Read more
Nutrien to idle three Saskatchewan potash mines
Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien plans to shut down three of its Saskatchewan potash mines for up to two months in the fourth quarter of the year. The Saskatoon company said Wednesday it “expects to proactively take up to eight-week inventory shutdowns” at its mines at Allan, Lanigan and Vanscoy, Sask. during that period. If all […] Read more
How one farm put data analytics to work
Saskatchewan grain farm makes money by assessing data on everything from employees to soil moisture
Reading Time: 6 minutes Most people say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” But at Hebert Grain Ventures, their motto is, “If it’s not broke, you haven’t looked hard enough.” “We don’t believe that, just because we had a good year or a good yield, that’s enough,” said Evan Shout, the Saskatchewan farm’s chief financial officer. “If we […] Read more
Watch for nitrate accumulation in hailed-out crops
There’s extra value in a salvage crop this year, but nitrates are a risk in crops such as canola and wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes The issue of nitrate accumulation needs to be considered when salvaging hailed-out crops. “Nitrate accumulation occurs in a plant when it is injured and is not able to convert nitrate to protein efficiently after a hail storm,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “In non-legume crops, water and nutrients are pushed into the […] Read more
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