Reuters — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co., grappling with falling prices and profits, is looking for acquisitions that could be bargain-priced in a weak commodity sector. The world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products on Thursday forecast lower selling prices for potash and phosphate in the current quarter. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company also reported fourth-quarter […] Read more
Mosaic looks for bargain buys as fertilizer sector slumps
Agrium’s forecast disappoints
Reuters — Canadian fertilizer and ag retailer Agrium has joined rival PotashCorp in forecasting a weaker-than-expected 2016 profit, as prices for crop nutrients remain weak. Agrium’s Toronto-listed shares fell as much as 5.2 per cent to $110.89, its lowest in a year, as investors ignored a better-than-expected quarterly profit. The company, which sells seed, fertilizers […] Read more
Fertilizer expected to be pricier by springtime
CNS Canada –– Relatively cheap natural gas has helped push down fertilizer prices for Canadian farmers over the past winter, but that should change by springtime. One Manitoba farm leader noted urea fertilizer that went for $545 per tonne last August could now be acquired for $445 per tonne. “Phosphate fertilizer was going for $721 […] Read more
Russia considering export duties on fertilizers
Stavropol | Reuters –– Russia’s government is looking into introducing duties on exports of mineral fertilizers to make them more affordable for the country’s farmers, President Vladimir Putin said Monday. Meeting his loyalists from the pro-Kremlin public movement, the All-Russia People’s Front, Putin heard compalints from a farmer saying that massive exports of mineral fertilizers […] Read more
PotashCorp shutting New Brunswick potash mine
Reuters — Weak conditions in the potash market will not improve any time soon, PotashCorp’s CEO said Tuesday as the fertilizer company announced it would suspend operations “indefinitely” at its New Brunswick mine. Potash Corp said it was putting its new Picadilly mine near Sussex, about 75 km northeast of St. John, in “care and […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus said seeking buyers for juice, fertilizer units
Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Commodities is seeking buyers for its orange juice and fertilizer units as the global merchant focuses on higher-margin activities, sources said, the latest firm to take steps to weather weak commodity markets. The company had been actively marketing the orange juice and fertilizer businesses for some months, having appointed banks to […] Read more
Boosting the bottom line through better pasture management
It’s about more sunlight, rain, and forage types — and never overgrazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes If farming these days is all about managing inputs, then grazing comes down to managing the land itself — the sunlight, water, minerals, and biodiversity that make pasture lands grow. “We can’t control the price of oil; we can’t control the cost of steel for making farming equipment; but we can manage and control these […] Read more
Canpotex sees terminal expansion decision late next year
Winnipeg | Reuters — The new chief executive of Canpotex expects the Canadian potash trader to decide around late 2016 where to expand West Coast terminal capacity, a move that could give it a faster route to Chinese buyers in a highly competitive market. Options include building a $775 million terminal at Prince Rupert, B.C., […] Read more
Manitoba extends fertilizing deadline to Saturday
A warmer-than-usual November has allowed Manitoba’s conservation and water stewardship department to delay its winter fertilizing ban until Saturday (Nov. 14). With soil temperatures not yet at the freezing point, the province announced Monday it would extend its deadline for spreading of phosphorus and/or nitrogen, including synthetic fertilizers and/or manure, to Nov. 14 from Nov. […] Read more
Agrium bucks fertilizer sector trend with Q3 profit
Reuters — Canadian fertilizer and farm retail dealer Agrium on Thursday reported quarterly profit jumped nearly nine per cent, as higher sales volumes and lower costs helped it buck the sector’s trend of weaker earnings. Weaker currencies in fertilizer-buying markets such as Brazil and India are weighing down prices, leading rivals PotashCorp and Mosaic Co. […] Read more
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