Russia restores the production of potassium chloride
During the January-November period of 2022, the production of mineral fertilizers in Russia decreased by 11.4% to 21.4 million tons, the Federal State Statistics Service reports.
Of their total volume, the output of nitrogen fertilizers increased by 3.3% to 10.7 million tons and phosphorus – by 0.3% to 4 million tons, while potassium decreased by 31.8% to almost 6.7 million tons.
“The decrease in the production of potassium fertilizers, mainly potassium chloride, is related to the difficulties of their export, probably due to the lack of ships to transport them to the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America due to the sanctions against Russia,” commented the information and analytical service of Fertilizer Daily. “At the same time, there are noticeable changes in the monthly output of potassium fertilizers: in January 2022, it amounted to 891 thousand tons, falling in April to 426 thousand tons. It then fluctuated between 534 and 647 thousand tons between May and August, dropping to 451 thousand tons in September. Then it started growing again.”
According to Fertilizer Daily estimates, by the end of 2022, the production of potassium fertilizers in Russia may reach 7.3-7.5 million tons, decreasing by 30-31.7% compared to the level of 2021. In 2023, it can rise to 8.5-9 million tons.
