| The location
of fertilizer production and consumption
The
production of the three major plant nutrients, nitrogen,
phosphate and potash, in relation to their regions of
consumption, is illustrated in the following diagrams.
 NITROGEN
This diagram illustrates the importance of North America and
Asia in the production and consumption of nitrogenous
fertilizers. The surplus of production over consumption in the
FSU and the Near East illustrates their importance as exporters.
The statistics illustrated in the above diagram relate to
finished nitrogen fertilizers only, such as urea, ammonium
nitrate etc.
 The
nitrogen fertilizer plus ammonia trade balance, exports minus
imports, shown in the next diagram, demonstrates the extent of
the nitrogenous export surpluses of the FSU (Russia and the
Ukraine), Central America (Trinidad) and the Near East. Of
course, not all the ammonia is destined for the manufacture of
fertilizers. Most is used to produce fertilizers but there is a
substantial use of ammonia in other industries as well.
These are regions with large resources of natural gas. There is,
however, a very substantial production of nitrogenous
fertilizers in very populous countries such as China and India.
Secondly, major agricultural-producing countries wish to
maintain a certain level of self-reliance.
 PHOSPHATE
This diagram illustrates the production and consumption of
finished phosphate fertilizers only.
|
If phosphate rock and phosphoric acid are included, as shown in the
next diagram, the trade balance, i.e. exports minus imports of the
FSU, the USA and Africa are increased considerably. The predominance
of resource-rich countries is more evident than in the case of
nitrogen - high quality phosphate rock deposits minable at today's
prices are relatively restricted geographically.
POTASH