January 31, 2012

French fertiliser cargoes fall four-year low

From July to November, nitrogen-fertiliser cargoes of France dropped 19% to the lowest in at least four years, whereas phosphate and potassium deliveries also fell, said national fertiliser-industry association Unifa.

Nitrogen sales in France, the EU's largest crop grower, fell to 864,000 tonnes in the first five months of the year begun July 1 from 1.06 million tonnes a year earlier, Paris-based Unifa said.

France is the 27-nation EU's biggest crop-nutrient user, according to the International Fertilizer Industry Association. French grain farmers typically buy fertiliser for next year's crop after most harvesting is done in September.

Potassium-fertiliser shipments in France fell 10% to 282,000 tonnes in the May-November period, while phosphate deliveries slid 24% to 221,000 tonnes, Unifa said.

The association tracks nitrogen sales on the basis of a year that starts July 1, while the marketing year for potassium and phosphorus begins May 1.