Pandemic, Ukraine War Leave Chinese Farmers with Fertilizer Shortage During Planting Season

Breitbart ^ | 4-5-2022 | John Hayward

[blam]

The China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association warned on Friday that coronavirus lockdowns could jeopardize the spring corn and soybean planting season by disrupting the supply of fertilizer to farms in northeastern China.

Reuters explained that Chinese farmers normally stockpile fertilizer in early April, but controls on the flow of goods and people across the country imposed after the coronavirus outbreaks of the past few months have shuttered factories and interfered with shipments.

Furthermore, the global supply of fertilizer has been disrupted by sanctions imposed against Russia, the world’s largest exporter. Fertilizer chemical prices are spiking by 30 to 40 percent around the world, from the United States to China.

Those high prices discouraged Chinese distributors from building up their inventory, leaving them short by thousands of tons. Producers with fertilizer products ready to ship say Chinese coronavirus restrictions are preventing them from sending their goods to the northeastern farms. Even if the necessary passes for shipment are issued, the companies will likely come up short on truck drivers, as many have dropped out of the industry due to the coronavirus.

While Chinese state media insisted the situation is under control and adequate supplies of fertilizer will somehow be delivered in time for planting at the end of April, China hedged its bets by purchasing a huge volume of corn from the United States on Monday.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said last week that American farmers are also planning to reduce their corn planting this spring, although demand is high, because the price of fuel and fertilizer has skyrocketed.

Chinese officials, including dictator Xi Jinping, grudgingly admitted in February that food security could be a problem in the coming year....

(snip)

[blam]

On my morning walk today, I saw three wild turkeys in a freshly plowed field that has held corn for the last two years. Deer and rabbits are very common, turkeys, not so much.
(Normally that field is crop rotated with corn, peanuts and cotton.

[Seruzawa]

So brilliant to have so much fertilizer produced in one place in the world. Ain’t globalism grand?

[bankwalker]

Would you prefer central planning?

[hinckley buzzard]

For those who are interested, Mosaic Corp. (MOS) is a major diversified American fertilizer company. Stock has been doing fine lately.

[Revolutionary]

You can expect a major starvation event in China this year.

[Lurker]

“Would you prefer central planning?”

I would prefer a domestic regulatory environment that doesn’t price US producers out of the market.

L

[Seruzawa]

This is central planning. Most of the available world fertilizer made in one place?

[blam]

"You can expect a major starvation event in China this year."

Probably a lot more than just China.

[Fledermaus]

I’m confused. Isn’t fertilizer easy to make? Every landscape company around my area has plenty. So does Home Depot, etc. Even Big Lots.

[BobL]

Not sure why China’s being hit. It seems they should be able to buy whatever Europe frees up from Russia.

[Arkansas Tider]

Potash and phosphorus are readily available in the US. Nitrogen is produced in a chemical process that requires natural gas, that’s where the problem is. Corn takes allot of nitrogen, take a moment and think about all the products that have corn in them.

[AZJeep]

Chinese farmers used to fertilize their fields with human excrements.
Each field had an outhouse and there were signs - our outhouse is the best, please, do your number #2 here!
Why not resurrect the old tradition?

[jjotto]

Doom porn purveyors mistake the free trade idea of buying from the cheapest source with an inability of of America to produce what’s needed. Give Americans a year’s advance notice without excessive government restriction and ‘miracles’ will happen.