Nitrogen Fertiliser

Global nitrogen fertiliser market valued at $114bn (before recent energy crisis mark-up).

Fertiliser prices tripled between Q3 to Q4 2021 (from £200/t to £600/t), with the recent Ukraine conflict resulting in prices over £1,000/t.

It is estimated that less than half of the nitrogen fertiliser applied to crops is used by the plants – the rest is wasted, including through leaching.

There is an opportunity to save $60bn annually in nitrogen fertiliser costs.

Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for crop development and yield.

Our entire agricultural system depends on the application of nitrogen; it would not be possible to maintain the world’s population at its current level without it. 

In China, the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser application over the last 30 years, led to doubling the average grain production per hectare from 2.3 to 4.6 tonnes.

Purchasing and using nitrogen fertiliser is a good investment for farmers. For example, optimising the use of nitrogen fertiliser in winter wheat, leads to increases in yield and grain quality and therefore farm income.