Cereals 2011: Fertiliser prices to remain high
Fertiliser prices, principally nitrogen, are on the increase again and predicted to remain firm until year end at least.
"A day is now a long time in the fertiliser market,” said GrowHow’s Ken Bowler who pointed to yesterday’s 20 dollar per tonne increase in the global granular urea market within the space of the day. Finishing the day at 530 dollars, the price was 300 dollars per tonne ahead of the same time last year and 200 dollars up on April this year.
"This has surprised the markets in Europe and Great Britain,” said Mr Bowler. “Ammonium nitrate was £210 per tonne retail 12 months ago. This week the August price was £323. The nitrogen market is very bullish. When we set our new season price this there was a feeling the traditional early buyers might be cautious. However they came to the market as they normally do and we are virtually sold through to August,” said Mr Bowler.
And all the current indicators were that forward buying will have paid off as prices looked set firm to the end of the year, not only for N but compounds as well. He did not rule out some price correction in 2012 but before then, he predicted further significant increases and rumour at the Cereals event was it could be another £30/tonne.
The situation was entirely down to global demand against available supply, said Mr Bowler. Cost of production was not the determining factor. Egypt for example had a low cost base but its price was quite simply set on what the market would stand.
Recommended Events
-
Chief Innovation Officer
Kan Biosys Pvt. Ltd
Akshat Medakker is a distinguished leader in agricultural biologicals, agri-biotechnology, and innovation-led enterprise development, with over 25 years of experience spanning crop inputs, life sciences, and sustainable agriculture. As Chief Innovation Officer at Kan Biosys, he leads business strategy and innovation across biofertilizers, biostimulants, and microbial crop solutions, driving science-based product development aligned with regulatory frameworks and market needs. His work integrates strategic business collaborations, research partnerships, commercialization pathways, and product deployment models to accelerate the adoption of next-generation biological inputs.
Over the course of his career, Akshat has worked at the intersection of science, policy, and enterprise. He has advised governments, multinationals, start-ups, and research institutions on fertilizer and biologicals regulation, intellectual property strategy, translational research, and technology transfer. His cont...
-
General Manager
Leili Marine BioIndustry INC.
-
Biocontrol product development manager
Syngenta Biologicals
Li Qian, Ph.D., Senior Agronomist, currently serves as the Biocontrol Product Development Manager at Syngenta (Shanghai) Crop Protection Technology Co., Ltd. She holds a Ph.D. from China Agricultural University and has long been dedicated to research on crop–microbe interaction mechanisms and green control technologies, committed to translating theoretical innovation into practical agricultural solutions.
As the manager of the company's biocontrol product development, she bridges cutting-edge research with practical applications, oversees the establishment of an integrated process and platform covering functional strain screening, mechanistic analysis, product development, and field validation, and has participated in and co-created the SYNCBIO® bio-chemical synergy theory. She is also one of the founders of the RootEco® rhizosphere ecological health model.
Her work deeply integrates microbiome technology with agricultural practice. The series of microbial products she has led in ...
-
CEO
IKAN Consultores
Romy is a regulatory and legal expert with more than 13 years of experience in Mexico’s crop protection and biologicals industry.
As CEO of IKAN Consultores, part of the LATAM Regulatory Network, she defines the firm’s strategic vision and leads the development of regulatory and compliance strategies that help national and international clients achieve market access and regulatory alignment across Latin America.
She also serves as Chair of the Crop Protection Commission at the Mexican Association of Professionals in Health Regulation (AMEPRES).
Her leadership has positioned IKAN as a strategic partner for national and international companies seeking to operate within complex regulatory frameworks in Mexico and Latin America.
Romy holds a Law degree, postgraduate studies in Administrative and Health Law, and a diploma in Customs Administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey, strengthening her focus on trade, regulatory compliance, and customs management.