Market Drivers and Fertilizer Economics

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Author(s): IFA

Format(s): PDF

Number of pages: 3

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ENGLISH

Used together with on-farm sources such as manures and crop residues, fertilizers provide the nutrients that farmers need to grow plentiful, high-quality crops to meet the growing world demand for food, feed, fi bre and biofuels. Plants require large quantities of nitrogen (N), phos-phorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S), but another 9-16 micronutrients are also necessary, depending on the specifi c crop. Every harvest removes nutrients from the soil, and fertilizers help replenish them, thus safeguarding soil fertility and making it possible to keep producing bountiful harvests.Recent concerns over the adequacy of global food supplies and the fi nal food costs facing consumers mean that many people are trying to better understand fertilizer production and the related economics. This overview is meant to provide a short introduction to major aspects of fertilizer economics.