Fertilizer prices remain higher despite agriculture being past the high-demand spring season.
Josh Linville of StoneX told AgWeb.com that multiple global factors are the reason prices have stayed high. Lower European production is the first reason as skyrocketing natural gas prices have cut EU production by 25 percent. Brazil is another reason as high costs have led to a decrease in many of the country’s production plants. China’s restriction on fertilizer exports means the government figured out they can make sure there’s enough for their own people and reduce the domestic price.
Restrictions are also coming out of Egypt due to heat and people trying to cool their homes as a result, so natural gas supplies are getting tight. In addition to an export shortage from other countries, the U.S. has also restricted imports from Morrocco, Russia, and China, which Linville says are a big part of the marketplace.