The Mosaic Co. announced on Oct. 5 that it is moving its potash prices up another $10/st in North America for October-February shipment, effective immediately. New postings in the Cornbelt include $320/st FOB river warehouses and $325/st FOB inland warehouses, with the NOLA barge price firming to $295/st FOB.

The increase follows Mosaic’s earlier announcement on Sept. 26 of a $15/st potash increase, as well as potash price hikes announced by Nutrien Ltd. and Intrepid Potash on Oct. 4. Mosaic said its new postings are now up $25/st from summer/early fall pricing.

Intrepid Potash Inc. on Oct. 4 announced a $25/st potash pricing increase, effective immediately. The company said posted prices at Carlsbad, N.M., for new orders are now at $337/st FOB for 62 percent standard grade and $330/st FOB for 60 percent granular. New postings at Moab/Wendover, Utah, moved up to $345/st FOB for 60 percent granular, and $340/st FOB for 60 percent standard.

Intrepid said it is currently evaluating its Trio pricing “based on market factors related to the potash price increase.”

The potash price hike from Intrepid follows a $25/st increase announced by Nutrien Ltd. earlier on Oct 4, and a $15/st increase announced by The Mosaic Co. on Sept. 26.

Saskatoon-based Nutrien Ltd. announced on Oct. 1 that CFO Wayne Brownlee has decided to retire, effective Oct. 31, 2018. The company has been working through a succession plan and expects to announce the new CFO by the end of October.

“The board and management team would like to thank Wayne for his many years of leadership,” Nutrien said. “Wayne has made significant contributions towards the creation and financial strength of Nutrien and to predecessor companies, which benefited from his guidance and dedication in a career that spanned 40 years.

Cronus Fertilizers announced on Oct. 1 that it has executed a lump-sum turnkey contract with ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (TKIS) for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of its Tuscola, Ill., fertilizer plant. Cronus said its contract with TKIS is the result of an extensive review process between the two companies that began in 2017.

“We are proud to reach this important milestone in realizing our vision for a state-of-the-art fertilizer facility that will provide major benefits for the entire region,” said Erzin Atac, CEO of Cronus Chemicals. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with TKIS and community leaders as the project moves toward construction.”

Cronus said the Tuscola facility, which is expected to have 2,300 mt/d of ammonia production capacity, is on track for groundbreaking in the second quarter of 2019. The company said the facility will be a major source of fertilizer for farmers throughout Illinois and the Midwest because of its strategic location, replacing the need for imported product.

“Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions is honored Cronus Chemicals has selected us as the designated EPC contractor for their planned 2,300 tons per day ammonia plant project in Illinois,” said Dennis Lippmann, CEO Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, North America. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting Cronus during the next phase of this exciting project. Our successful track record in ammonia plant technology and undisputed expertise in engineering, procurement, and construction qualifies us for this large-scale project, which will move forward once the financing is completed.”

PCI Nitrogen reported on Aug. 15 that it is moving up the 2019 turnaround at its Pasadena, Texas, production facility due to an unscheduled maintenance event. The turnaround is now taking place in August and will last approximately 17 days. The facility produces synthetic granular ammonium sulfate, liquid ammonium thiosulfate, and sulfuric acid, which are marketed exclusively by Interoceanic Corp. (IOC).

Nutrien Ltd. announced on July 16 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Agrible Inc., a digital agriculture company based in Champaign, Ill., for total consideration of $63 million. Agrible has an advanced platform and product offering that includes agronomic and on-farm advisory tools, data science capabilities, predictive analytics, and a global sustainability business. The company has 55 employees.

“The acquisition of Agrible is consistent with our strategy of investing in the growth of Nutrien’s Retail business to further strengthen and differentiate our leading global position,” said Chuck Magro, Nutrien president and CEO. “We expect to recognize significant strategic and financial benefits from the transaction by leveraging Agrible’s capabilities to deliver unique, value-enhancing solutions across our Retail network.”

Agrible’s platform is currently being used by approximately 17,000 growers representing some 11 million acres across numerous global geographies, but the company’s largest commercial market is the U.S. Its primary digital product offerings include Morning Farm Report^®, Spray Smart^®, Nutrient Engine, and Find My Seed^®, as well as other complementary digital and mobile offerings.

The transaction is expected to close in late July 2018. Mike Frank, president of Nutrien Ag Solutions, said the Agrible agronomic and sustainability tools will immediately be incorporated into Nutrien’s existing digital platform.