Despite the impact COVID-19 is having on Indian business and government operations, MMTC called its much awaited urea tender. The tender closes May 4 with shipment by June 21. Sources said earlier MMTC will need to buy at least 1 million mt to make up for limited tonnage purchased earlier this year by RCF and to deal with stepped up demand by farmers. The tender call also comes as urea prices are rebounding in China and the Middle East.
All posts by Steve Seay
Montreal Port Shut Down by Strike
A strike by Port of Montreal longshoremen is resulting in a complete shutdown of cargo handling and docking service, the port said in a statement Monday, cited by Bloomberg. The general strike is affecting all terminals except liquid bulk handling, grain terminal and Oceanex service. On Sunday, the port said clients can expect delays in delivery “for the next few days and even weeks.”
The federal government has issued notice it is preparing back-to-work legislation if needed. Fertilizer Canada called on the Prime Minister and his government to immediately implement the legislation and work quickly to end the Port of Montreal strike and get fertilizer moving again. It said decisive action is needed to mitigate the impact of this strike on Canadian farmers, particularly those in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. It noted that hundreds of thousands of tons of fertilizer enter Canada through the Port of Montreal during the spring seeding season.
Indian Phos Acid Reported Up
India has reportedly agreed to buy Moroccan phosphoric acid at $998/mt CFR in the second quarter, up $203/mt from the first-quarter price of $795/mt CFR.
CF Inks Green NH3 Contract with thyssenkrupp
CF Industries Holdings Inc. today announced that it has signed an engineering and procurement contract with thyssenkrupp for the company’s green ammonia project at its Donaldsonville, La., manufacturing complex. thyssenkrupp will supply a 20 megawatt (MW) alkaline water electrolysis plant. CF will integrate the carbon-free hydrogen generated by the electrolysis plant into existing ammonia synthesis loops to enable the production of 20,000 tons per year of green ammonia.
Mattioli Named Yara North America President
Yara International ASA, Oslo, has named Geraldo Mattioli as Senior Vice President and President of Yara North America Inc., effective May 1. He is currently Vice President Farming Solutions America and has close to 30 years of experience in the ag industry, including a career with Yara North America that started in 2005. He will be based in Tampa.
Magnus Ankarstrand, who has been heading up Yara’s activities in North America, was recently appointed to lead Yara’s new Clean Ammonia division.
Canpotex Booked into September
Canpotex Ltd. is fully committed on its sales into September due to strong demand in “numerous key offshore markets,” the company said April 20. It cited “solid fundamentals” for major agricultural commodities and a focus on food security supporting demand.
Nutrien to Cut Emissions 30 Percent
Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from two parts of its operations by 2030. The company released its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report on April 8, which announced its goal targeting a 30 percent emissions reduction per metric ton of its nitrogen fertilizer production, as well as from electricity generated off-site. The decrease would be compared with 2018 levels and doesn’t include sprawling so-called Scope 3 emissions, which includes the impact of the entire supply chain and customers’ use of products.
Compass Minerals to Sell North America Micronutrient Assets
Compass Minerals, Overland Park, Kan., said April 8 that it has into a definitive agreement to sell certain of its North America micronutrient assets to Koch Agronomic Services LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, for approximately $60.25 million, payable at closing and subject to a closing inventory adjustment. Compass Minerals will sell substantially all assets related to the company’s Wolf Trax®, Rocket Seeds® and Hydro Bullet™ micronutrient product lines to Koch. Compass will retain its salt and sulfate of potash businesses.
Tampa Sulfur Firm at $192/lt
All major buyers have now concluded second-quarter sulfur at Tampa at $192/lt, doubling the first-quarter price of $96/lt.
Tampa Sulfur Price Doubles
Major Tampa molten sulfur buyers have begun settling second-quarter Tampa contracts at $192/lt, double the first-quarter price of $96/lt.