Russia has decided to increase the export quotas for nitrogen fertilizers by 231,000 mt and for complex fertilizers by 466,000 mt, respectively, Interfax has reported, citing the country’s Ministry ofEconomic Development.
The quotas have been updated taking into account the balance of production and consumption of these types of fertilizer, the ministry said.
The Russian government introduced export quotas for nitrogen fertilizers and complex fertilizers and other exports containing nitrogen on Dec. 1, 2021, as well as on DAP and MAP, in a bid to safeguard local supplies and stabilize pricing for the country’s farmers (GM Nov. 5, 2021). The export quotas were to remain in effect until May 31, 2022.
The cap on nitrogen fertilizer exports was set at 5.9 million mt, and 5.35 million mt for complex fertilizers.
Later, the export quota for urea was increased by 280,000 mt to account for the launch of new production capacity by the Acron Group. The Russian fertilizer group completed the Urea-6+ project at the Veliky Novgorod site in northwest Russia last August (GM Aug. 13, 2021). The project increased the Urea-6 plant’s production capacity to 730,000 mt/y from 210,000 mt/y previously, and has taken Acron’s total urea production capacity to 1.975 million mt/y.
In a separate development this week, Russia on March 28 extended its export ban on ammonium nitrate (AN) exports to May 1, according to a separate Interfax report, citing the government press service.
The export ban that was first imposed starting Feb. 2 had been due to run only until April 2, and was aimed at ensuring the country had enough product for its domestic sowing season (GM Feb. 4, p. 29).
The ban extension will not apply to exports to the self-proclaimed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine or breakaway regions in Georgia, according to the report.