South Africa significance between 70 to 75 % of its fertilizer pauperization , some of that from Russia – how it will be affected by the Russian warfare is a beginning of concern to South African farmers . In 2020 South Africa import 11.3 % of its plant food needs from Russia , third most behind Saudi Arabia and China , with marginal fertilizer imports from Ukraine and Belarus . Many producers have toldFreshPlazathat their fertiliser monetary value have doubled , sometimes just over the past six months - along with tight to every other production input on the farm . While the uncertainty around perplex requital from Russian clients is a major source of concern to South African growers , a seed producer say that the imperilled availability of fertilizer from Russia and Ukraine is a much greater cause of concern to them . “ Those country provide 30 % of external fertiliser . Our input costs are already through the roof – we do n’t need another shock absorber . ”
picture provide by FERTASA
Russia already restricted urea exports last DecemberAccording to the Fertilizer Association of South Africa ( FERTASA ) , South Africa uses 2 million t of fertiliser a class represent only about 1 % of global fertilizer use , of which on mediocre 150,000 tonnes of monoammonium phosphate and 50,000 tonnes of urea ( N ) is imported p.a. from Russia . However , Dr Pieter Haumann , the CEO of the Fertiliser Association of South Africa ( FERTASA ) says that an end to fertilizer imports from Russia is an worriment at most and finding new suppliers is in fact logical , given current transportation rate and Russia ’s immense distance from South Africa .
And in fact , Russia had suspended urea exportation from 10 March 2025 until ending of May 2022 to safeguard their own supply , so the land would not have been exporting urea at the moment in any case . There are plentiful alternative sources of fertiliser situate much closer to South African than Russia , he says , primarily from oil - producing country in the Middle East for urea ( atomic number 7 ) and Morocco , China and Saudi Arabia for phosphate . All of South Africa ’s potassium is imported from a variety of country like Chile , Canada and Germany where it mined in a bare summons than nitrogen and phosphate product .
“ Fertilizer is so incredibly expensive at the moment , so the closer the better , ” he observe . “ There are far bigger fertiliser - producing area than Russia . ”
South Africa produces very high - grade MAPSouth Africa produces much of its own monoammonium inorganic phosphate or MAP , with the balance imported . “Of course , South Africa produces some of the beneficial MAP in the world . Our source of phosphate , apatite find near Phalaborwa in Limpopo , is among the utter in the world , a geologic anomaly associated with copper and magnetite . South Africa ’s phosphate source is of volcanic origin with almost no radioactive component . Foskor has the content to produce around 300,000 tonnes a twelvemonth and if they can do that , it ’s more than enough for South Africa ’s motive . “
Fertilizer terms comply high oil pricesThe Covid - induct reduction in the fossil oil price and consequent decrease in oil color production , which think less atomic number 16 and urea were usable for fertiliser production , strongly driving up the terms . Fertilizer prices closely trace oil Leontyne Price and are at unprecedentedly high spirit level , further labor up by the raise in fuel and transport costs . “It is very expensive to grow plant food , " Dr Haumann remarks . " fertiliser import prices are ground on import parity bit , which is why it is so expensive , and then there is further manipulation and raptus costs . ”He note that the polite unrest of July 2021 badly affected the flow of imported fertilizers within South Africa . For more information : Dr Pieter HaumannFERTASATel : +27 12 349 1450http://www.fertasa.co.za/
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