Yara’s headquarters in Oslo. (Yara.com)

Yara to stop buying potash from Belarus due to sanctions

Fertilizer firm buys 10-15 per cent of country's potash output

Oslo | Reuters — Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara said on Monday it will wind down purchases of potash from Belarus by April 1 as international sanctions made it impossible to continue the trade. Yara estimates that it buys 10-15 per cent of the annual output of state-owned Belaruskali, one of the world’s largest producers of […] Read more

FCL’s Co-op Fertilizer Terminal at Brandon. (Photo courtesy Federated Co-operatives Ltd.)

Fertilizer prices to remain high for now

MarketsFarm — There are two factors to consider when it comes to fertilizer. One is the cost as it’s to remain quite expensive at least through the first quarter of 2022, according to Chris Lawson, head of fertilizers for the CRU Group. The other is its availability, said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers […] Read more


Mayo Schmidt, shown here speaking in Winnipeg in 2007, has “left his position” as Nutrien’s CEO and resigned from its board, the company said Jan. 4. (Dave Bedard file photo)

Nutrien makes surprise CEO switch again despite strong profits

Abrupt change 'mighty perplexing' to analysts

Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer producer by capacity, surprised investors by replacing its chief executive on Tuesday for the second time in eight months, even as the company rakes in strong profits. Nutrien said in a statement it named Ken Seitz, the head of its potash business, as interim chief executive after […] Read more

Yara’s fertilizer terminal at Stockton, California. (Sebastian Braum photo, Yara.com)

Yara brings most European ammonia production back on stream

Rising fertilizer prices make resumption profitable

Oslo | Reuters — Yara has brought most of its European ammonia production back on line after prices of finished fertilizers rose to make up for a surge in the cost of gas, the Norwegian fertilizer manufacturer said on Wednesday. The company cut back ammonia production at a number of sites in Europe from September […] Read more


The Blair’s agro centre at Lipton, Sask. (Blairs.ag)

Buyer found for ag retailer Blair’s contested outlet

ProSoils to buy Blair's location at Lipton, Sask.

Crop input retail chain Blair’s Crop Solutions has a deal in place to sell one of its eastern Saskatchewan sites to meet its obligation to federal regulators. The chain, a joint venture between Federated Co-operatives and the Blair’s Family of Companies, announced Monday it will sell its site at Lipton, Sask., about 80 km west […] Read more

(Alexey Rezvykh/iStock/Getty Images)

Farmers ask U.S. Justice Department to probe fertilizer price spikes

Reuters — Farmers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether recent spikes in fertilizer prices are attributable to market manipulation by fertilizer companies, according to a letter sent Wednesday by the Family Farm Action Alliance. The group, which has more than 6,000 farmer and rural members, alleges fertilizer companies are setting prices […] Read more


CF Industries’ UAN plant at Donaldsonville in Louisiana. The company also makes UAN at plants in Ontario, Iowa and Oklahoma. (Thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com)

Fertilizer shortage may lead to spring scramble

'It's next year's prices I'm worried about'

Reuters — A global shortage of nitrogen fertilizer is driving prices to record levels, prompting North America’s farmers to delay purchases and raising the risk of a spring scramble to apply the crop nutrient before planting season. The Texas Arctic Blast in February and Hurricane Ida in August disrupted U.S. fertilizer production. Then, prices of […] Read more

Should you till after a drought?

Should you till after a drought?

Q & A with an expert

Q: What factors should be considered with fall tillage following a drought? A: Fall work might include tillage operations for fertilizer and herbicide applications. Other tillage operations might include vertical tillage for residue management and tillage to break up surface compaction. The question after a drought is, “Should I till?”  Many parts of Western Canada […] Read more



This photo shows the affected area of discoloured plants fading into an unaffected area with healthy plants.

Crop advisor casebook: Why the discoloured canola plants in this Sask. field?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the October 12, 2021 issue of Grainews

In June 2020, I was doing a routine herbicide efficacy assessment for Rick, who farms 13,000 acres of durum, spring wheat, canola, barley, lentils, peas and flax near Kyle, Sask. While walking a 320-acre canola field, I noticed some severe discolouration of the canola plants. The affected plants were pale green to yellow in colour […] Read more