CNS Canada — As more fertilizer plants are built around the world and U.S. corn acreage shrinks, the typical thinking holds that prices for urea and nitrogen should fall, but that hasn’t been the case so far for Canadian farmers. “They’re more on the steady side,” said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers Association […] Read more
Farmers wait for fertilizer prices to fall amid oversupply
Half of nitrogen from feedlots is lost to ammonia emission
Mitigating emissions from feedlots isn’t easy, but there are ‘simple’ steps to reduce nitrogen losses and save money
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feedlots have come a long way in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. But a new federal research study has found that nitrogen losses in feedlots are still significant — and can significantly affect the bottom line. “We’re losing about 50 per cent of the nitrogen to ammonia loss in a feedlot, and […] Read more
Fertilizer prices ‘float along’ with eyes on China, corn
CNS Canada — It’s shaping up to be a typical winter season for fertilizer prices, according to an industry expert, but he cautions plant expansions in the U.S., corn acreage and the murky world of Chinese exports will all play a part in determining any price spikes in coming months. “We’re probably expecting a typical […] Read more
Save time and maybe money with fall soil sampling
Having a firm fertilizer plan in the fall allows you to take advantage of any dip in fertilizer prices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Soil sampling now will save time in spring and early planning of your fertilizer programs gives you the chance to take advantage of lower fertilizer prices that may occur, says a provincial crop specialist. But soil samples need to be representative of the field, said Mark Cutts. “For example, if there are small areas of […] Read more
Agrium, PotashCorp in merger talks
Canadian fertilizer giants Agrium and PotashCorp confirmed Tuesday they’re in “preliminary discussions” toward a possible merger-of-equals. Calgary-based Agrium and Saskatoon-based PotashCorp emphasized in separate statements Tuesday that no decision has yet been made on whether to go ahead with such a merger and no agreement has yet been reached. “There can be no assurance that […] Read more
Fertilizer prices look to rise by late summer
CNS Canada — A rise in prices for soybeans and other crops could make fertilizer more expensive in the coming months, according to a major player in the industry. In the May market report from the Mosaic Co., the company credited the rally in agricultural commodity prices, the strengthening of key currencies and various Indian […] Read more
Nitrates to linger for decades in N-heavy waterways, study finds
Lakes, rivers, streams and well water high in nitrates will stay that way for another 35 years or more, even if farmers in those watersheds were to stop applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer on their fields today, a new study shows. The study of the Mississippi River basin, published Tuesday by Canadian and U.S. researchers, shows […] Read more
Stick to deep banding — not shallow banding — when applying nitrogen
In order to reduce nitrogen losses, producers need to deep band their fertilizer, use enhanced-efficiency products, and follow the 4R nutrient stewardship principles
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to getting maximum yields, nitrogen is still king. “Nitrogen is the most important nutrient when it comes to providing yield responses,” said agronomist Rigas Karamanos. In a study conducted in 2000 that looked at how barley yields responded to various nutrients, nitrogen increased yields by almost 60 bushels per acre — over […] Read more
Fertilizer maker Yara to cut costs, raise investments
Oslo | Reuters –– Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara plans to cut operating costs and raise investments to become more competitive and grow its business, it said in an update ahead of an investor meeting on Tuesday. The company raised its estimate for 2016 capital expenditure to 17.9 billion Norwegian crowns (C$2.8 billion) from previous guidance […] 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
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
