Output of key mineral fertilizers grows by 5% in 2022

MOSCOW, Dec 29 (PRIME) -- Russia’s production of the main types of mineral fertilizers, or the nitrogen, phosphate, and compound fertilizers, grew by 5% on the year in 2022, the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association said in a statement late on Wednesday.

“In spite of the tough global situation, production of the main types of mineral fertilizers – the nitrogen, phosphate, and hi-tech compound fertilizers – grew by 5% in physical terms this year. Russian producers covered farmers’ demand for mineral fertilizers for 2022 already in October. It amounted to around 5 million tonnes of products,” the association said quoting head Andrei Guryev.

Fertilizer procurements of Russian farmers will rise by at least 15% this year taking into account stock. The Agriculture Ministry said that the farmers bought 5.4 million tonnes of fertilizers as of mid-December, meaning that they are already creating fertilizer reserves for the spring sowing campaign, the association said.

Farming in Russia should intensify in the future as the ministry expects fertilizer purchases to rise by 3.3 million tonnes until 2030 with the fertilizer application exceeding 80 kilograms per hectare, the association added.

At the same time, Russia’s fertilizer exports will fall only by 15% in 2022 as the companies started to recover from Western sanctions in June–July by finding new alternative export routes. Exports to India almost tripled to 3.6 million tonnes this year, while exports to Turkey soared by 40% to 700,000 tonnes. The markets of Southeast Asia are of great potential for the Russian producers of fertilizers, according to the association.

Exports of phosphate and potash fertilizers to Europe plummeted by 30–33% this year, the association said.

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