Sustainable and specialty fertilizers
Overview
The importance of sustainable and specialty fertilizer markets has grown as producers diversify their product ranges and end users seek more efficient fertilizer compositions. These developments have been further impacted by the drive towards sustainability, which has accelerated interest in these markets.
Argus market experts have many years of experience in these sectors, incorporating price reporting, cost calculations, fundamentals analysis and forecasting.
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Latest sustainable and specialty fertilizers news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global sustainable and specialty fertilizers markets
Nutrien’s Georgia plant in restart process
Nutrien’s Georgia plant in restart process
Houston, 1 October (Argus) — US fertilizer producer Nutrien expects its Augusta, Georgia, nitrogen plant to restart in the next 1-2 days after Hurricane Helene caused it to close late last week. The Augusta facility is currently restarting processes at the plant, according to the company. The plant was closed on 26 September from storm-induced power outages. The nitrogen plant produced 740,000 metric tonnes (t) of ammonia in 2023 and 560,000t of urea. Alongside Augusta, Nutrien's White Springs phosphate plant in Florida shut down when Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Florida panhandle bringing power outages, flooding and catastrophic winds to the southeastern US. Roads near the White Springs facility are still closed because of flooding and downed power lines. The company said it could take several more days before a full post-storm assessment is complete. The White Springs facility still does not have a timeline for restart. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Some eastern US rail shipments restart after Helene
Some eastern US rail shipments restart after Helene
Washington, 30 September (Argus) — Some railroad operations in the southeastern US have resumed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, but major carriers warn that some freight may be delayed while storm-damaged tracks are repaired. Rail lines in multiple states were damaged after Hurricane Helene made landfall on the northeastern Florida coast on 26 September as a category 4 storm and traveled northwards as a downgraded but still dangerous storm into Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. The storm left significant rain and wind damage in its wake, including washed-away roads, flooded lines, downed trees and power outages. Eastern railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) said they are working around the clock to restore service to their networks. Norfolk Southern said it had made "significant progress" towards its recovery with most major routes back in service including its Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Jacksonville, Florida, line as well as its Birmingham, Alabama, to Charlotte, North Carolina route. Norfolk Southern said freight moving through areas that are out of service could "see delays of 72 hours". Several of Norfolk Southern's other routes remain out of service, including rail lines east and west of Asheville, North Carolina, because of historic levels of flooding. There are multiple trees to remove along a 70-mile stretch from Macon, Georgia, to Brunswick, Georgia. And downed power lines are keeping the railroad's lines from Augusta, Georgia, to Columbia, South Carolina, and Millen, Georgia, out of service. CSX said "potential delays remain" but did not provide specifics. However, the railroad said it had made "substantial progress" in clearing and repairing its network. The railroad's operations in Florida have mostly reopened, as have rail lines in its Charleston subdivision, which crosses South Carolina and Georgia. But bridge damage and major flooding has kept CSX's Blue Ridge subdivision out of service. A portion of the line running from Erwin, Tennessee, to Spartanburg, South Carolina, has been cleared, but CSX said "a long-term outage" is expected for other parts of the rail line. By Abby Caplan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Lower Mississippi draught restrictions eased
Lower Mississippi draught restrictions eased
Houston, 30 September (Argus) — The US Coast Guard (USCG) loosened draught restrictions on sections of the lower Mississippi River following heavy rains upstream from Hurricane Helene . Traffic moving southbound on the lower Mississippi from Tiptonville, Tennessee, to Greenville, Mississippi, can now have a draught up to 10.6ft, while vessels in the region between Greenville to Tunica, Louisiana, can go up to 11ft, according to 26 September notice from the USCG. Tows traversing Tiptonville to Vicksburg, Mississippi, can have six barges wide, while tows traveling through Vicksburg to Tunica can be up to seven barges wide. Northbound tows cannot draft higher than 9.5ft from Vicksburg up through Tiptonville. The same tows cannot have more than six barges wide and more than four of them loaded. All but two locations on the lower Mississippi River rose above their low water threshold and are forecast to remain that way through mid-October, the National Weather Service said. Restrictions were loosened late last week after Hurricane Helene brought flash floods to the southeastern US following weeks of drought conditions along the lower Mississippi River. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Argentine DAP/MAP imports could climb in coming months
Argentine DAP/MAP imports could climb in coming months
London, 30 September (Argus) — Argentina's DAP and MAP imports have remained below normal so far this year, and buyers have been on the sidelines since August in particular. But an increase in soybean planting could see sales rebound in the fourth quarter. Phosphates purchases were slow in August because importers were delaying purchases in anticipation of a government announcement about an import tax reduction. The government announced on 2 September that import tariffs would be reduced from 17.5pc to 7.5pc. But despite that buying has remained slow because of unfavourable crop prices and sowing conditions. Argentina imported 32,000t of MAP in August, the lowest of any August since 2008, according to GTT data. MAP imports in January-August totalled 476,000t, down significantly from the 555,000t average for January-August 2019-23. MAP imports in the same period last year — 484,000t — were also below norms because of an abnormally dry climate and the increased risk of leafhopper swarms damaging crops. DAP imports were also down in August at 15,000t, compared with the 2019-23 August average of 36,000t. DAP imports in January-August totalled 210,000t, slightly above 208,000t in the same period last year but below the 243,000t average for the same period in 2019-23. Above-normal July DAP/MAP imports, which totalled 195,000t, only helped to offset some of the deficit over the first half of the year. DAP/MAP deliveries look sluggish in September-October Adverse conditions delaying planting, combined with soft corn prices, have pushed back demand for fertilizers. Upriver corn prices saw a 13pc year-on-year decline to $198/t fob upriver Argentina as of 26 September. Concerns have been aggravated by the rising frequency of crop destruction by leafhoppers, as well as dry weather, with the country's farmland recording scant rainfall in the past few months. The chances of the country experiencing another La Nina spring phenomenon are high, meaning low rainfall and increased risk of frost, which would lead to a poor corn harvest. These factors have further increased farmers' reluctance to buy DAP/MAP. Local sources expect that the national corn acreage will be reduced by 1mn-2mn hectares (ha) this year because of late planting. At least 128,000t of DAP/MAP is scheduled for arrival in Argentina in September-October, according to line-up and LHB data. But in 2019-23, the country imported an average of 54,000t of DAP and 228,000t of MAP in the same period, according to GTT data. Increased reliance on soybean crops could support DAP/MAP imports A shift towards increased soybean planting could lift the country's need for phosphate-based fertilizers and boost P2O5 demand until the end of the year. Farmers will increase the soybean-planted area by 1.7mn ha at the expense of corn, as the economics of the former are more favourable than the latter, according to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (Bage). The exchange added that the majority of soybean hectares have a greater than 60pc chance of breaking even, while the odds are less than 50pc for the majority of corn hectares. Local sources expect that between 500,000 ha and 1mn ha of corn acreage can be replaced with soybean crops this season. For the 2024-25 marketing year, Argentina is projected to increase the national soybean area by 9.8pc to 19mn ha, according to a Bage outlook. And the US Department of Agrciculture expects Argentina's soybean output to reach 51mn t for this season, up from 48.1mn t last year. But delays in reaching a decision on which crop to plant limits the amount of fertilizer that can arrive in time, with local market participants citing concerns about a potential logistical bottleneck before the planting period in late 2024. DAP/MAP imports typically peak over May-October and decline around November. By Renata Cardarelli and Adrien Seewald Argentina August DAP-MAP imports '000t Argentina monthly DAP-MAP imports '000t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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