Egyptian fertilizer producer NCIC has reported awards in its latest sales tender, which closed on August 11, with DAP prices rising to $915–920 per metric ton FOB — a notable increase from the $890–900 per metric ton FOB it achieved in its July tender, according to Argus Media.

In the same NCIC Egypt DAP tender, the producer sold 27,000 metric tons of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN 26) at $250–270 per metric ton FOB and 500 metric tons of water-soluble sulfate of potash (SOP) at $750 per metric ton bagged ex-works. The CAN volume was nearly triple the 10,000 metric tons initially offered, indicating strong buyer interest.

NCIC also offered 10,000 metric tons of TSP and 30,000 metric tons of SSP in the tender. Neither product was awarded, likely because bids fell below the producer’s price expectations. Prices for TSP and SSP have been under pressure in Brazil, the benchmark destination for those grades.

The rising DAP price from Egypt reflects persistent tightness in global phosphate markets. China’s phosphate export restrictions remain in force through August, and elevated sulfur costs — up more than 260% year-over-year — continue to squeeze phosphate producers’ margins worldwide.

Source: Argus Media

Indian fertilizer importer National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has likely purchased two 30,000 metric ton cargoes of DAP from trading firm Midgulf International at prices in the high $920s per metric ton CFR with credit, equivalent to the mid-$910s per metric ton on a sight basis, according to Argus Media.

The India NFL DAP tender closed on August 11 and attracted four offers from trading firms Ameropa, Oasis Global, Agrifields, and Midgulf. NFL requested shipment of the cargoes to India’s west coast by August 31. The sale could not be confirmed with Midgulf, and the origin of the DAP cargoes remains unknown.

Separately, fellow Indian importer FACT closed its own tender for 50,000 metric tons of DAP on August 18, a day after delaying the original deadline. FACT received four offers: Morocco’s OCP offered Moroccan-origin DAP, VB Venture offered U.S.-origin DAP, Oasis Global offered Russian-origin DAP, and Ameropa offered open-origin DAP. Delivery was requested to New Mangalore or Tuticorin ports.

The procurement activity signals that India is entering its peak import season ahead of the October–March rabi planting window. Indian importers face tight global phosphate availability as China’s export restrictions on DAP, MAP, and select NPK blends remain in place through August, covering an estimated 50–80% of Chinese export volumes.

Source: Argus Media

The 60-day memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran expired on August 17 without producing a final agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to normal commercial shipping, according to a UANI shipping update published on August 19.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf has stated that the Strait of Hormuz “will not reopen” until the United States fulfills all commitments outlined in the now-lapsed memorandum, including lifting the U.S. blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ending the oil embargo, and ceasing military operations. Only 12 vessels crossed the strait on August 16 — eight inbound and four outbound — compared with more than 100 daily crossings before the conflict began in late February.

The security situation is deteriorating further. On August 19, a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile in the engine room while transiting outbound through the southern corridor, killing the chief engineer, according to maritime security firm Windward. Since reimposing its blockade on July 14, U.S. forces have redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled three non-compliant ships, and boarded two others.

The strait’s effective closure has shut off a critical fertilizer corridor. The Middle East accounts for more than 30% of global urea exports, roughly half of globally traded sulfur, and one-third of seaborne fertilizer shipments. Fertilizer-related outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf has shown no meaningful restart since the MoU was signed in June, according to WTO trade tracker data. A new CoBank report published on August 13 warned that fertilizer prices will remain elevated through 2028 as a result of the disruption.

Source: UANI

What to know about the Strait of Hormuz MoU expiry

The Indian government will continue to support DAP importers and domestic producers beyond the standard nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) through the end of the October–March rabi season, according to a document reviewed by Argus Media.

Under the India DAP subsidy extension, the government will pay importers and producers 3,500 rupees (approximately $41) per metric ton to cover costs including port handling, bagging, marketing, transport, and dealer margins. It will also compensate importers for any losses incurred from upward or downward trends in international DAP prices during the rabi window.

The support is necessary because Indian importers face substantial losses at current global prices. The maximum retail price (MRP) and NBS framework mean that any DAP purchased above roughly $510 per metric ton CFR generates a loss for the importer. Recent deals have priced in the mid-$910s to high-$920s per metric ton CFR, nearly double that breakeven threshold.

India is the world’s largest DAP importer, and maintaining an affordable phosphate supply is a food security priority ahead of the rabi crop, which accounts for roughly half of the country’s annual grain output. The India DAP subsidy extension signals that New Delhi expects elevated phosphate costs to persist into early 2027.

Source: Argus Media

Sabic Agri-Nutrients and Maaden Integrated Fertilizer Company have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration across the fertilizer value chain, the companies disclosed in a filing to the Saudi stock exchange Tadawul on August 18.

The non-binding Sabic Maaden fertilizer MoU establishes a three-year framework for developing and investing in value-added agri-nutrient products, including joint production and manufacturing opportunities. Sabic said the agreement is aligned with its 2040 strategy to expand global leadership in nitrogenous fertilizers.

Sabic Agri-Nutrients, formerly known as the Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (Safco), is also advancing plans to add 2.6 million metric tons per year of urea capacity after the Saudi energy ministry approved a gas feedstock allocation in March. If completed, the expansion would lift Sabic’s total urea capacity to approximately 7.4 million metric tons per year, reinforcing its position among the world’s top nitrogen producers.

Maaden Integrated Fertilizer Company (MIFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), serves as the holding entity for Maaden’s phosphate business unit. Sabic and Maaden already share a long commercial relationship: Sabic holds minority stakes in Maaden’s Wa’ad Al-Shamal and Maaden Phosphate operations, both part of the $7 billion phosphate complex in northern Saudi Arabia that also includes Mosaic as a partner.

Sabic said no financial impact has materialized from the MoU to date. The deal comes as Saudi fertilizer exports remain constrained by restricted vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where only 12 commercial ships crossed on August 16 — down from more than 100 daily crossings before the Iran conflict began in February.

Source: TradeArabia

What to know about the Sabic Maaden fertilizer MoU

Stone fruit production is expected to recover in both the European Union and Japan in the 2026/27 marketing year as improved weather conditions support yields after weather-related setbacks in the previous season, according to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service reports published Aug. 19.

In the EU, peach and nectarine production is forecast at 3.49 million metric tons, up from 3.13 million tons in 2025/26. The recovery is being led by stronger crops in Spain and Italy, while Greece and France are also expected to post higher or recovering production. EU cherry production is forecast at 800,000 tons, up from 786,260 tons, supported by improved harvests in Spain, Italy and Germany despite sharp losses in Poland and smaller production in France and Hungary.

Japan is also expected to see a broad recovery. Fresh cherry production is forecast to rise 25% to 14,000 tons, driven by improved fruit set and favorable conditions in Yamagata, the country’s largest cherry-producing prefecture. Peach and nectarine production is forecast at 110,000 tons, up 9.3%, as fruit size recovers from the heat and drought-affected 2025/26 crop. The stronger domestic supply is expected to lift cherry consumption 12.5% to 18,197 tons and peach and nectarine consumption 8.9% to 107,800 tons.

Shrinking orchard areas remain a common challenge

Despite the production rebound, both markets continue to face structural pressure on cultivated area. EU peach and nectarine planted area is estimated at about 182,000 hectares, while cherry area is forecast at 165,000 hectares. High production costs, climate volatility, labor shortages and the shift toward more profitable crops are limiting investment and replanting.

Japan faces similar demographic and labor constraints. Cherry harvested area is forecast to decline 3.5% to 3,810 hectares in 2026/27, while peach and nectarine harvested area is expected to fall about 1% to 9,030 hectares. Aging growers, limited farm succession, seasonal labor shortages and the cost of maintaining orchard infrastructure are contributing to the decline.

Trade flows expected to strengthen

The EU is expected to remain a major exporter of peaches and nectarines, with exports forecast at 135,000 tons in 2026/27. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine and Norway are the main destinations. Cherry exports are also expected to increase modestly as domestic production improves.

Japan’s peach and nectarine exports are forecast to rise 34% to 2,500 tons, supported by increased domestic availability and continued demand in Asian markets, particularly Hong Kong and Taiwan. Cherry imports, however, are forecast to fall 15.6% to 4,200 tons as the domestic crop recovers. The United States remains Japan’s dominant foreign cherry supplier, accounting for 89% of imports in 2025/26.

Argentine urea producer Profertil reported first-half 2026 urea revenues of $250 million, up approximately 30% from $192 million in the same period of 2025, according to data reported by Argus Media.

Profertil sold 404,000 metric tons of urea during January–June 2026, down from 433,000 metric tons a year earlier. The Profertil Argentina urea revenue increase despite lower volumes reflects the sharp rise in international urea prices following the start of the Iran war in late February and the resulting constriction of Middle East nitrogen exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

Profertil operates a 1.3 million metric ton per year granular urea plant in Bahía Blanca, Argentina — the country’s only urea production facility. The plant’s domestic market position faces a potential future challenger: Argentine energy company Pampa Energía approved a $2.7 billion, 2.1 million metric ton per year urea facility in Bahía Blanca in July, which would more than double the country’s nitrogen production capacity if completed on its approximately 40-month construction timeline.

Argentina is a net exporter of urea, and elevated international prices have provided a revenue windfall for Profertil even as the country’s agricultural sector grapples with high input costs. Latin American buyers have increasingly turned to ammonium sulfate as a cheaper nitrogen alternative amid the global urea price surge.

Source: Argus Media

Global fertilizer markets remain under pressure despite a pullback in nitrogen prices following China’s approval of additional urea exports, according to the International Fertilizer Development Center’s (IFDC) 24th Fertilizer Crisis Response Bulletin, published Aug. 11. The bulletin, produced with Argus Media and AfricaFertilizer, said the return of Chinese volumes to international markets has eased some of the pressure created by earlier supply disruptions, but the relief could prove temporary.

The bulletin points to continued risks from conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine. The Strait of Hormuz typically carries about one-third of globally traded fertilizer, leaving markets vulnerable while commercial traffic through the waterway remains constrained. Nitrogen prices have retreated sharply from their July highs as Chinese urea reaches international buyers, but IFDC said a renewed disruption to Hormuz shipping, a reversal of Chinese export quotas or additional sanctions-related restrictions could quickly send prices higher again. Recent market data similarly shows that the reopening of Chinese exports has been a key factor behind the decline in urea prices.

Phosphate markets face a separate set of supply constraints. The bulletin highlights Russia’s sulfur export restrictions and China’s suspension of phosphate fertilizer exports through August, both of which could limit the availability of raw materials and finished products. IFDC also identifies Togo’s phosphate mining sector as a potential source of additional supply for West African markets.

Sources: International Fertilizer Development Center

Global adoption of genetically engineered rice could either increase food production or maintain current output levels while reducing both cultivated land and fertilizer use, according to a large-scale meta-analysis published August 3 in Nature Communications. The review, which synthesizes roughly five decades of genetic engineering research on rice, provides some of the most comprehensive evidence to date that GE rice varieties can deliver meaningful resource savings without sacrificing yield.

The findings land at a moment when fertilizer costs remain elevated across global markets. The Strait of Hormuz disruption has pushed nitrogen and phosphate prices well above pre-conflict levels, and nitrogen fertilizer accounts for the single largest variable input cost in rice production across most of Asia. Any technology that credibly reduces the volume of synthetic nutrients needed per hectare carries direct economic and environmental implications for the more than 3.5 billion people who depend on rice as a dietary staple.

What the genetically engineered rice meta-analysis found

The researchers examined data from genetically engineered rice trials spanning multiple decades, evaluating yield performance, land-use efficiency and fertilizer requirements across a range of environmental conditions and genetic modifications. The meta-analysis found that globally adopted GE rice could follow one of two pathways: producing more rice on the same land and nutrient base, or producing equivalent volumes with a smaller environmental footprint through reduced fertilizer application and less cultivated acreage.

This dual-pathway result challenges the common framing that higher yields and lower inputs are mutually exclusive. The review’s scope — covering laboratory, greenhouse and field-level data from numerous research groups — gives it broader applicability than any single trial could offer.

Fertilizer market implications

Rice accounts for roughly 16% of global nitrogen fertilizer consumption, according to the International Fertilizer Association. A meaningful reduction in per-hectare nitrogen demand across rice-producing regions — particularly China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam — would ease pressure on urea and ammonia markets that have been strained by the Hormuz crisis and Chinese export restrictions.

The practical timeline for such an impact remains distant. Regulatory approval for genetically engineered rice varies widely by country. China has approved several GE rice events for cultivation but has moved cautiously on commercial planting. India, the world’s second-largest rice producer, has not approved any GE rice for commercial use. Translating meta-analysis results into farm-level practice would require years of regulatory review, seed development, and farmer adoption — a sequence that the current global fertilizer supply crisis may accelerate but cannot shortcut.

Earlier breakthroughs add context

The Nature Communications review builds on a growing body of genetically engineered rice fertilizer research. In February 2026, a team from Oxford University, Nanjing Agricultural University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences published a study in Science identifying a master regulatory gene called WRINKLED1a that balances root and shoot growth in response to nitrogen availability. Rice plants carrying a superior natural variant of the gene maintained high yields even when nitrogen fertilizer levels were reduced substantially in field trials.

Taken together, these findings suggest that genetic approaches to reducing fertilizer dependence in rice are moving from theoretical promise toward experimental validation. For the fertilizer industry, the long-term trajectory points toward lower per-hectare nitrogen demand in the world’s largest rice markets — a structural shift that would compound alongside other efficiency technologies like variable-rate application and enhanced-efficiency fertilizers.

Source: Nature Communications

Mosaic Biosciences has launched Renuvis Enzara, an enzyme-based crop residue management product designed to accelerate the decomposition of heavy residue and improve field conditions ahead of planting. The product targets challenges associated with higher-yielding hybrids, continuous corn and no-till and reduced-till systems, where increasing residue volumes can delay planting and interfere with seed placement and emergence.

Enzara uses endoglucanase enzyme technology to weaken the structural fibers that hold crop residue together, creating additional entry points for naturally occurring soil microbes. Mosaic said the technology begins working in temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit and can be applied in either fall or spring. The company said the product is compatible with fertilizer and herbicide applications and does not require an additional field pass.

Mosaic said 2025 on-farm trials in corn-on-corn and soybean-after-corn systems showed improvements in residue decomposition, emergence, stand counts and uniformity following spring applications. The company said faster residue breakdown could also improve tillage effectiveness, reduce equipment wear and potentially lower fuel use by allowing growers to reduce tillage intensity. Renuvis Enzara is available in August 2026 for fall application.

Ranchbot, a ranch technology company that builds satellite-connected water and livestock monitoring tools, raised more than $15 million in a Ranchbot Series B round that closed in early August. Lewis & Clark Partners led the financing, with participation from Fulcrum Global Capital, Builders VC, the Cultiv8 Livestock Technology Fund, Lever VC and Macdoch Ventures.

As part of the transaction, the company completed a corporate restructuring that establishes Ranchbot Technology Holdings, a Delaware corporation, as the new global parent company with headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. The business originated in Sydney, Australia, in 2014 under the Farmbot brand and now works with more than 12,000 customers monitoring roughly 10 million cattle and 15 million sheep. The capital will fund U.S. team expansion, hardware and software development, and a push into broader connected infrastructure for agriculture beyond the company’s core water-monitoring product.

The Ranchbot Series B round closed amid continued headwinds for agtech funding. PitchBook data show deal counts dropping to new lows in the first half of 2026, and the sector continues to reckon with the collapse of several high-profile indoor-farming ventures. Ranchbot’s focus on ranch-scale infrastructure and its established customer base distinguish it from earlier agtech bets that struggled to find commercial traction.

Source: Beef Magazine

India’s Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers closed its latest urea purchase tender on August 11, drawing offers totaling 2.57 million metric tons from 21 suppliers — roughly 50% more than the 1.7 million metric tons sought. The east coast attracted 20 offers for 1.37 million metric tons, while the west coast received 17 offers for 1.2 million metric tons, according to Argus Media.

Trading firms Agricommodities/ETG and Midgulf submitted the largest individual quantities at 150,000 metric tons each for both coasts. The offered volumes include typical double- and triple-counting of supply available through trading houses. Market participants had expected pricing for the India RCF urea tender to land around $370 per metric ton CFR west coast ahead of the close, though estimates were rising late in the week as renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz unsettled the outlook.

The strong participation marks a shift from earlier rounds this year. India’s April tender through Indian Potash drew bids near $959 per metric ton at the peak of the Hormuz crisis, while the June round through National Fertilizers attracted offers around $449. India remains the world’s largest urea importer, and the pricing outcome from this RCF round is widely viewed as the most important benchmark for global nitrogen trade in the third quarter of 2026.

Source: Argus Media

President Donald Trump extended the Jones Act waiver for another 90 days on August 10, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to continue carrying fertilizer, oil, natural gas and coal between U.S. ports. The extension takes effect August 17 and marks the third renewal since Trump first suspended the century-old cabotage law on March 17 to ease supply pressures after the start of the war with Iran.

Unlike the two earlier extensions, the latest round requires the Department of Defense to consult with the U.S. Maritime Administration before determining whether individual voyages qualify for the Jones Act waiver. The added oversight layer responds to criticism from domestic shipowners and some lawmakers who argue the blanket exemption undermines the U.S.-flagged fleet. Since the waiver took effect, at least three voyages have moved anhydrous ammonia aboard foreign-flagged LPG tankers, according to Cato Institute tracking data.

The renewal signals that the administration expects continued supply chain pressure from the Strait of Hormuz, which remains only partially open to commercial traffic. About one-third of globally traded fertilizer typically transits the strait, and vessel movements remain well below pre-conflict levels despite periodic diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran. The Jones Act waiver now covers 671 distinct commodity categories, including ammonia, urea, sulfur, phosphate and potash products.

Source: Associated Press via BNN Bloomberg

What to know about the Jones Act waiver for fertilizer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Aug. 17 announced $7.5 million in grants to expand cold-chain capacity for food assistance organizations. The Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance Program will fund equipment used to temporarily store, package and distribute fresh, frozen and minimally processed food, including meat, eggs, dairy and produce.

Under the program, nonprofit grant recipients will administer competitive subaward programs for cold-storage investments in the middle of the food supply chain. Subawards can cover equipment purchases, delivery, installation and necessary ancillary supplies, up to $200,000 per project. Recipients of the subawards must provide a 10% cash contribution.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the program would expand infrastructure for storing food produced by U.S. farmers and ranchers, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the funding would help food banks provide more whole foods to families in need. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is intended to support the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 1, 2026. More information is available through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance program.

Pupuk Indonesia, the state-owned fertilizer group, closed the initial submission round for a tender to purchase 90,000 metric tons of DAP on August 10, according to market participants cited by Argus Media. The company issued the Pupuk Indonesia DAP tender on August 7 on behalf of four subsidiaries, seeking light or yellow granular 16-45 and 18-46 grade DAP for shipment between September and November.

The four buyers are Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang, seeking 30,000 metric tons for delivery to Boom Baru port; Petrokimia Gresik, seeking 20,000 metric tons for Gresik port; Pupuk Kalimantan Timur, seeking 20,000 metric tons for Bontang port; and Pupuk Kujang, seeking 20,000 metric tons for Tanjung Priok or Cigading port. Offers must be submitted on a cost-and-freight basis using 18-46 DAP as the reference grade. The date for the e-auction pricing round has not been announced.

The tender adds fresh procurement demand to a phosphate market already facing tight supply from China’s export restrictions and elevated sulfur costs. Pupuk Indonesia last awarded a DAP purchase tender on July 16 at $877 per metric ton CFR, according to Argus. Phosphate prices globally remain supported by the ongoing disruption to ammonia and sulfur flows through the Strait of Hormuz and Russia’s sulfur export ban, which runs through December 2026.

Source: Argus Media

The Fertilizer Institute president Corey Rosenbusch warned in an August 6 interview that a sulfur shortage is emerging as the next major threat to global phosphate supply, amplifying the disruption already caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade. More than half of globally traded sulfur passes through the Hormuz strait under normal conditions, and virtually no commercial shipments have gotten through since the Iran conflict began, according to Rosenbusch.

Sulfur is an essential feedstock for sulfuric acid production, which in turn is required to convert phosphate rock into finished fertilizer products such as DAP and MAP. Without adequate sulfur supply, phosphate plants cannot operate at full capacity regardless of phosphate rock availability. The sulfur shortage has already forced production curtailments at multiple U.S. phosphate facilities, including four Mosaic plants that reduced output earlier this summer.

Rosenbusch noted that Russia’s decision to extend its sulfur export ban through the end of 2026 has compounded the Hormuz-related losses, removing two of the three largest sulfur supply sources from global markets simultaneously. The combined disruption is tightening sulfuric acid availability across the Americas, Europe and South Asia, where phosphate producers depend on imported sulfur.

The sulfur shortage is feeding directly into higher phosphate prices. DAP in Illinois reached $912.22 per ton as of August 7, up 24% from two years ago. Mosaic has settled its Q3 sulfur contracts at $705 per long ton and guided DAP realizations at $820 to $840 per metric ton FOB plant for the quarter. Rosenbusch called on the administration to recognize sulfur as a critical supply chain bottleneck that warrants attention alongside nitrogen and potash in any policy response to the broader fertilizer cost crisis.

Source: RFD News

Mexico is advancing two fertilizer projects that could begin rebuilding domestic nitrogen production as global supply disruptions expose the risks of relying heavily on imports. Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO), a subsidiary of the state-owned energy complex, is developing an ammonia plant in Sinaloa, while private company Fermachem is building a urea facility in Durango.

The GPO project is part of the government’s broader effort to revive Mexico’s petrochemical industry and restore production capacity lost as aging Pemex facilities were shut down over the past two decades. The Sinaloa plant would produce ammonia for the domestic agricultural market, although its development timeline and expected capacity have not been detailed publicly.

In Durango, Fermachem is developing a granular urea plant aimed at supplying Mexico’s domestic market. The project’s nameplate capacity and commissioning date have not been publicly confirmed. The investment comes as Mexican farmers face higher fertilizer costs, with imported urea prices rising above $400 per metric ton during the Hormuz crisis.

Mexico imported about 2.5 million metric tons of fertilizer in 2025, with the U.S., Russia and China among its main suppliers. Disruptions to global trade routes and Russian export restrictions have highlighted the vulnerability of import-dependent markets. If both projects reach commercial production, they would restore part of Mexico’s lost nitrogen capacity, although the country would continue to rely significantly on imported fertilizers.

Source: World Fertilizer

Researchers in Morocco have developed a process that could turn locally available potassium-rich rocks into a fertilizer alternative to conventional potash. The team, led by Abdellatif Elghali of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, used chemical and heat treatment to make potassium in syenite rocks more soluble and accessible to crops.

Potash remains the dominant source of potassium fertilizer, but much of the world’s production is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, including Canada, Russia and Germany. For African farmers, reliance on imported fertilizer can increase costs and expose supplies to disruptions. Researchers also say conventional potassium salts can be highly soluble, resulting in nutrient losses through leaching and contributing to soil salinity because of their chlorine content.

The Moroccan team crushed the rocks, treated them with water and alkaline or acidic agents, and heated the mixture to just below 200°C. Laboratory tests found that the modified material released potassium and calcium rapidly at first and then more gradually, while also supplying silicon and magnesium. Corn and soybean plants were able to absorb the nutrients at levels comparable to those achieved with conventional potash fertilizer. Synchrotron analyses at the Canadian Light Source helped researchers determine how the treatment altered the minerals and released potassium. The findings were published in Minerals Engineering.

The researchers now plan larger field trials to assess the fertilizer’s performance at commercial scale and determine whether the production process can be made sufficiently simple and cost-effective. If successful, the technology could provide African farmers with a locally sourced potassium fertilizer and reduce dependence on imported mineral inputs.

CF Industries raised its mid-cycle EBITDA baseline to $2.9 billion during its Q2 2026 earnings call, reflecting the company’s view that global nitrogen supply will remain structurally tight through at least 2027. The largest U.S. nitrogen producer said the Iran conflict has fundamentally reset nitrogen market dynamics by removing roughly 4 to 4.5 million metric tons of urea and approximately 1 million metric tons of ammonia from internationally traded supply.

CF Industries nearly doubled its quarterly profit in Q2 2026, with the company benefiting from elevated nitrogen margins as domestic plants ran at essentially full utilization. Management emphasized that the supply deficit created by the Hormuz blockade cannot be quickly resolved even if diplomatic progress continues, because damaged port infrastructure, depleted inventories and insurance complications will delay any meaningful resumption of Middle Eastern exports.

The $2.9 billion mid-cycle CF Industries EBITDA estimate is significantly above the company’s pre-conflict baseline and implies that management expects elevated nitrogen prices to persist as a new normal rather than a temporary disruption. CF Industries noted that no major new nitrogen capacity is scheduled to come online globally before late 2028, and that brownfield expansions at existing plants face long lead times for equipment and permitting.

The company generated $1.1 billion in free cash flow during the first half of 2026 and returned $700 million to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. CF Industries also confirmed it continues to evaluate clean ammonia opportunities, including potential off-take agreements that would allow it to sell low-carbon ammonia at a premium once carbon border mechanisms such as the EU’s CBAM take full effect.

Mosaic has locked in its Q3 2026 molten sulfur contracts at $705 per long ton, securing supply below prevailing spot prices through relationships with Gulf Coast refiners, the company disclosed during its second-quarter earnings call. Mosaic guided Q3 DAP realizations at $820 to $840 per metric ton FOB plant, reflecting the pass-through of elevated sulfur and other raw material costs into finished phosphate pricing.

The Mosaic sulfur settlement is a critical data point for the phosphate industry, which has been grappling with a global sulfur shortage triggered by the Strait of Hormuz blockade and Russia’s extended sulfur export ban. Mosaic previously curtailed production at four U.S. phosphate plants as sulfur availability tightened, contributing to a $273 million net loss in Q2 2026.

Management indicated that phosphate production volumes will remain constrained through the second half of 2026, with the pace of any recovery tied directly to sulfur supply normalization. The company expects to produce approximately 1.8 million to 2.0 million metric tons of finished phosphate in Q3, below its pre-crisis run rate. Potash operations, which are not sulfur-dependent, continued at full capacity with Q3 MOP realizations guided at $260 to $280 per metric ton FOB mine.

Analysts noted that Mosaic’s ability to secure sulfur below spot through long-term refiner agreements gives it a cost advantage over competitors relying on the open market, where molten sulfur has traded above $800 per long ton at times during 2026. The company’s Q3 phosphate guidance implies margins will remain compressed but positive, an improvement over the loss-making Q2 quarter.

U.S. nitrogen fertilizer prices have remained stubbornly elevated even as the natural gas costs that typically drive them have declined from their winter peaks, creating what analysts are calling a nitrogen price paradox. Anhydrous ammonia, the most widely used nitrogen source for Midwest corn production, averaged $915.50 per ton in Illinois as of early August — 16% above the same point last year — despite Henry Hub natural gas settling well below its spring highs.

Gas accounts for 70% to 90% of variable production costs at a typical nitrogen plant, so historically, nitrogen fertilizer prices track gas with a lag of several weeks to months. That relationship has broken down in 2026. RFD News reported in early August that structural factors beyond feedstock costs are keeping nitrogen prices elevated, including the loss of roughly 4 to 4.5 million metric tons of urea from traded supply due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade, reduced global ammonia export availability and high domestic utilization rates at U.S. nitrogen plants.

CF Industries, the largest U.S. nitrogen producer, noted on its Q2 earnings call that its plants ran at essentially full capacity throughout the quarter, with product largely pre-sold. Nutrien reported a 25% year-over-year decline in nitrogen volumes as its Trinidad operations remained offline, further tightening domestic availability. With producers operating at or near capacity limits and global trade flows disrupted, the gas-to-nitrogen price pass-through mechanism that normally corrects elevated margins has stalled.

For farmers, the nitrogen price paradox complicates budgeting for the 2027 crop year. Lower gas prices have not translated into the fertilizer savings growers expected, and analysts at the University of Illinois warn that elevated nitrogen costs could persist even if a partial Hormuz reopening restores some seaborne trade. The concentration of nitrogen production capacity among a handful of companies, now under active USDA scrutiny, is also part of the conversation.

Source: RFD News

Air Products has confirmed it will not proceed with the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex (LCEC), a flagship blue hydrogen-to-ammonia project that was expected to be one of the largest low-carbon energy facilities in the United States. The company said the decision will result in a pre-tax charge in its fiscal third quarter, though it did not disclose the amount.

The LCEC cancellation marks a strategic retreat from one of Air Products’ most ambitious clean energy investments. The project had been designed to produce low-carbon hydrogen using natural gas with carbon capture, with most of the hydrogen destined for ammonia production. Air Products and Yara had been in advanced negotiations for a 25-year offtake agreement under which Yara would purchase roughly 80% of the facility’s blue hydrogen to produce approximately 2.8 million metric tons of low-carbon ammonia per year.

CEO Eduardo Menezes said the company is optimizing its project portfolio and expects capital expenditures to fall from approximately $3.5 billion in fiscal 2026 to about $2 billion to $2.5 billion in fiscal 2028. The company also discontinued a zero-carbon liquid hydrogen facility in Arizona and other smaller clean energy distribution projects.

The cancellation comes as Air Products simultaneously finalized its marketing agreement with Yara for renewable ammonia from the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia, signaling a shift in strategy from domestic blue hydrogen toward international green ammonia partnerships.

Source: Air Products / SEC Filing

The USDA fertilizer investigation into pricing practices across the U.S. fertilizer supply chain is nearing completion, the department confirmed in early August. The probe, which has examined whether concentration among manufacturers, distributors and retailers has contributed to persistently high fertilizer costs for American farmers, could produce findings that shape future regulatory and legislative action.

The investigation was launched after repeated complaints from farm groups and Congressional pressure following the 2021–2022 fertilizer price spike and the more recent surge triggered by the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruption. The USDA has been working alongside the Federal Trade Commission, which opened its own separate antitrust inquiries into agricultural input markets this year.

Details of the investigation’s scope and methodology have not been publicly released, but USDA officials have previously indicated they are examining pricing transparency at the retail level, the role of consolidation in nitrogen and phosphate production, and whether current market structures adequately serve farmers’ interests. The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union have both called for greater transparency in how fertilizer is priced from factory gate to farm gate.

The timing is significant. With fall 2026 fertilizer prices running 16% to 24% above prior-year levels and the 2027 planting season approaching, any policy recommendations emerging from the USDA fertilizer investigation could influence the next round of Farm Bill discussions and potentially lead to new disclosure requirements for fertilizer manufacturers and distributors.

Source: RFD News

What to know about the USDA fertilizer investigation

Iran and Oman have agreed on the geographic coordinates for a proposed safe commercial shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports from early August. The Hormuz safe shipping route would create a designated transit lane through Iranian and Omani territorial waters, potentially allowing commercial vessels to resume passage through the critical chokepoint for the first time since the conflict shut down regular traffic earlier this year.

The agreement on coordinates represents the most concrete progress in Hormuz negotiations since the conflict began. Oman, which has maintained diplomatic relations with both Iran and Western nations, has served as the primary mediator. Details on the width of the proposed lane, vessel screening procedures, insurance requirements and a timeline for implementation have not been publicly confirmed.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20% of global seaborne fertilizer trade under normal conditions, including large volumes of urea, ammonia and sulfur from Middle Eastern producers. The blockade removed an estimated 4 to 4.5 million metric tons of urea and approximately 1 million metric tons of ammonia from traded supply, according to CF Industries estimates. More than half of globally traded sulfur also transits the strait, creating a cascading shortage that has curtailed phosphate production worldwide.

Markets have already begun pricing in the possibility of a partial reopening. Urea prices fell to $386 per metric ton on August 11, down more than 7% over the past month. However, analysts caution that damaged port infrastructure and the need for new insurance arrangements could delay any meaningful resumption of commercial shipping even after a diplomatic framework is in place.

Source: CNN

Orbia Netafim has launched GrowSphere FLEX, a smart irrigation and fertigation controller for smallholder and mid-sized farmers, as the company expands its digital agriculture portfolio. The system is intended to provide a lower-complexity entry point into connected irrigation automation while complementing GrowSphere MAX, which is designed for larger commercial operations.

Netafim said farms of less than two hectares account for about 84% of farms worldwide and produce roughly one-third of global food supplies. GrowSphere FLEX is designed to help these growers reduce manual irrigation tasks and improve water and nutrient management. The system features built-in cellular connectivity and can be configured for different crops, field layouts and farm sizes.

Through GrowSphere Workspace, farmers can remotely manage irrigation and fertigation, monitor field and system performance using sensors, reports and alerts, and access cloud-based insights. A Crop Advisor function provides recommendations based on crop growth stages. The system is designed for open fields, orchards, vineyards, citrus operations, greenhouses and nurseries and has undergone a year-long beta phase across multiple regions and irrigation conditions.

“FLEX is bringing Agriculture 4.0 within reach for farms of different sizes, needs and stages of digital adoption,” said Gaby Miodownik, president of Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business.

Netafim said GrowSphere already has thousands of users managing more than 100,000 hectares across dozens of countries. GrowSphere FLEX is being introduced through a phased global rollout.

Sources: Netafim — GrowSphere FLEX