Tower structure at one of Mosaic’s potash mines near Esterhazy, Sask.  Photo: Greg Berg

Mosaic shares tumble on disappointing fertilizer guidance

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – U.S. fertilizer producer Mosaic Co on Tuesday forecast slower phosphate sales and weaker prices for the current quarter, causing shares to plunge as much as 9 percent. The Minnesota-based company predicted third-quarter phosphate sales of 2.2 million to 2.5 million tonnes, down from 2.6 million in the second quarter. Mosaic forecast third-quarter diammonium […] Read more



Mosaic Co. said its staff at Mulberry, Fla. are using this on-site 800-foot-deep ground water well to recover water lost from the sinkhole formation at their phosphate facility. (MosaicCo.com)

Sinkhole at Mosaic fertilizer site leaks radioactive water

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — A sinkhole spanning 45 feet in diameter opened at a Mosaic Co. phosphate fertilizer facility in Florida, leaking 215 million gallons of “slightly radioactive water,” a company spokesman said Friday. Mosaic said the monitoring system at its New Wales facility at Mulberry, Florida, showed a decline in water levels on Aug. 27 from […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Agrium, PotashCorp in merger talks

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian fertilizer giants Agrium and PotashCorp confirmed Tuesday they’re in “preliminary discussions” toward a possible merger-of-equals. Calgary-based Agrium and Saskatoon-based PotashCorp emphasized in separate statements Tuesday that no decision has yet been made on whether to go ahead with such a merger and no agreement has yet been reached. “There can be no assurance that […] Read more


Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Mosaic CEO sees opportunities to buy miners’ fertilizer assets

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Miners that produce a diverse commodity mix may be willing to part with fertilizer assets, creating buying opportunities for producers of potash and phosphate, Mosaic Co. CEO Joc O’Rourke said Tuesday. Profits of fertilizer producers have tumbled because of falling prices, weak currencies in importing countries such as Brazil and excessive supplies. Mosaic, […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Fertilizer prices look to rise by late summer

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — A rise in prices for soybeans and other crops could make fertilizer more expensive in the coming months, according to a major player in the industry. In the May market report from the Mosaic Co., the company credited the rally in agricultural commodity prices, the strengthening of key currencies and various Indian […] Read more


Globally, phosphate rock and potash reserves are stable for the foreseeable future, as are supplies of nitrogen-based fertilizers.

No fertilizer panic – for now

Supplies for 2016 seem healthy, but there’s no time like today to lock in your needs

Reading Time: 3 minutes Six years ago, the International Plant Nutrient Institute calculated a timeline for the world’s known reserves of key nutrients. It suggested we’ve got lots of breathing room, including 55 years for N-based fertilizers, 235 years for potash, 696 for phosphate, and a virtually inexhaustible supply of sulphur. Of course, as we use up some of […] Read more

Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Mosaic looks for bargain buys as fertilizer sector slumps

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co., grappling with falling prices and profits, is looking for acquisitions that could be bargain-priced in a weak commodity sector. The world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products on Thursday forecast lower selling prices for potash and phosphate in the current quarter. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company also reported fourth-quarter […] Read more


(Fertilizer Safety and Security Council)

Fertilizer expected to be pricier by springtime

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Relatively cheap natural gas has helped push down fertilizer prices for Canadian farmers over the past winter, but that should change by springtime. One Manitoba farm leader noted urea fertilizer that went for $545 per tonne last August could now be acquired for $445 per tonne. “Phosphate fertilizer was going for $721 […] Read more

Mosaic cuts phosphate production

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters –– U.S.-based fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. said Wednesday it would cut output of phosphates by up to 400,000 tonnes with rotating plant shutdowns in the first quarter, due to weak demand. Fertilizer producers have seen profits hit by falling prices, triggered in part by weak currencies in importing countries such as Brazil. “The long-term […] Read more