10 THE CAAR COMMUNICATOR FERTILIZER TECHNOLOGIES It’s spring, a time when crop farmers and retailers think profoundly about fertilizer—the type, the amount of application, when to apply, and the cost of the fertilizer relative to its effectiveness. And yes, availability affects the type of fertilizer some retailers can offer their farmer clients. We could beat a horse to death and explain again that Russia’s war on Ukraine has caused a shortage of fertilizer, which in turn has increased the price of fertilizer around the globe. So even if you could get hold of what you needed, its cost was high, reaching a peak in May 2022. Ukraine, Russia, and its ally Belarus had all been major fertilizer suppliers to farmers worldwide. In 2020, pre-war Russia contributed 14 percent of the world’s urea and 11 percent of its phosphate. With Belarus, Russia delivered 41 percent of the global potash mined. If a country had no moral qualms about buying and selling from Russia and Belarus, it would probably receive its fertilizer at a relaxed price point. But for Canada, the US, and the hundreds of other countries that refused to do business with them, it meant a fertilizer shortage. Now Canada and the US aren’t slouches when it comes to producing fertilizer, and as such, they were able to make up the fertilizer shortages—quickly enough, though perhaps not quickly enough for those who bought high to ensure they had what they needed early in the planting season. Although Canada’s ag industry and all other sectors are facing blowback from the federal government to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 to 45 percent by 2030, we point out happily that there is no mandatory reduction of fertilizer being placed on farmers. And the rest of the world noticed that, too. Fertilizer Canada proudly states that the Canadian fertilizer industry contributes $23 billion annually and over 76,000 jobs. Potash is Canada’s most important fertilizer, economically speaking. In 2022, Canada’s exports of potCanadian fertilizer and the new insect and lightning alternatives Could lightning-derived technology or cricket frass be a new fertilizer option for manufacturers? By Andrew Joseph, Editor Canada remains one of the world leaders in the production of potash, with Nutrien Ltd. leading the way. iamporpla/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo
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