Statistics show slightly lower costs for fertilizer, fuel and cattle and calf purchases in 2016, against higher crop sales and program payments, led to a rise in realized net farm income last year. Statistics Canada on Wednesday released data showing Canadian producers’ realized net farm income — the difference between cash receipts and operating expenses, […] Read more
Stats from 2016 show uptick in net farm income
BHP stays course on potash mine few expected built
New York | Reuters — BHP Billiton’s Canadian potash mine will use advanced, cost-saving technology, giving it a competitive edge in a currently oversupplied fertilizer market, the executive in charge of the business said on Thursday. Australia-based BHP aims to start potash production at Jansen, Sask., about 70 km southeast of Humboldt, in 2023, eventually […] Read more
Undaunted by glut, new potash players bank on fertilizer rebound
New York | Reuters — The owners of several new potash mines that are adding fertilizer to an already oversupplied market are banking on better times, bucking industry thinking that the projects may snuff a modest price recovery. The drive to build new mines began when potash prices were higher, but last year prices slid […] Read more
Agrium posts smaller-than-expected loss for quarter
Reuters — Agrium, the world’s biggest farm retailer, reported a smaller-than-expected loss on Monday, helped by higher selling prices for potash. The Calgary-based fertilizer and ag retail firm sold 636,000 tonnes of wholesale potash in the first quarter ended March 31 at an average of $208 per tonne, compared with 456,000 tonnes at $199 per […] Read more
PotashCorp notches higher profit as sales climb
Reuters — Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp reported a bigger-than-expected rise in quarterly profit on Thursday and raised its full-year outlook, citing lower costs and increased sales volumes. Shares of the Saskatoon-based fertilizer producer rose 1.6 per cent in early New York trading, touching a three-week high. Revenue was lower in the first quarter due to weaker prices […] Read more
It’s not business as usual when it comes to fertilizing this year
Unharvested crops mean there’s more nutrients in the soil and if you have to broadcast, there’s a chance to top up the nutrient bank
Reading Time: 3 minutes Nutrient management is a challenge even in average years — but a million unharvested acres mean this year will be far from average. Step one is determining available nutrients. In a cereal crop, the vast majority of the nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur and about one-fifth of the potassium taken in by the plant are contained […] Read more
Canpotex aims for ‘material’ potash price bump from China
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian potash exporter Canpotex is pressing Chinese buyers to pay a “material” price increase for the fertilizer in their annual supply contract, as spot values in other markets rise off multi-year lows, Canpotex’s chief executive said on Monday. “We’re not interested in some kind of ratcheting down. That is for sure,” […] Read more
Dreyfus sees recovery after two-year profit slide
Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus’ core earnings fell for a second year in 2016 amid a persistent high supply of crops, but the agricultural commodity trader said a revamp of operations should help results this year. Large inventories, low prices and limited volatility have curbed margins in the past two years for companies that […] Read more
Indian regulator warns on Agrium-PotashCorp merger
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s competition regulator said the proposed merger between Agrium and PotashCorp was likely to hurt competition, a government statement said Wednesday. The two Canadian fertilizer producers agreed to merge last September to navigate a severe industry slump by boosting efficiency and cutting costs. Neither Agrium nor PotashCorp have physical presence […] Read more
Wet spring hampers Prairie fertilizer timetable
CNS Canada — This week’s dump of snow in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba will likely push back fieldwork and fertilizer applications on a lot of farms, according to one crop watcher. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Dan Mazier, speaking from a conference in the U.S., said only about 50 per cent of the normal amount […] Read more
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