Dominance of N

 

Sharp fall in use of P and K

 

15 December 2009

THE latest figures from fertiliser trade organisation the International Fertilizer Industry Association indicates farmers in several countries have been postponing applications of phosphorus and potassium in response to the current volatility in grain and input prices.

According to the IFA, total consumption in 2008/09 was down 6.7 per cent, to 156.4 million tonnes of nutrients for the three main nutrients NP and K.

Consumption is estimated to have contracted much more sharply for P and K fertilisers, down 10.5 and 19.8 per cent, respectively, than for N, which was only down 1.5 per cent.

Demand increased in South Asia and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, remained fairly stable in Africa and declined in all other regions. Some of the largest changes in volumes occurred in Western and Central Europe – down 4.3mt and North America – down 3.4 mt.

The IFA is forecasting a recovery in N use in 2010, a small increase in P consumption and a continuing decline in K consumption.

Fertiliser industry aims to reduce CO2 emissions

 

| Sourced From Commodityonline.com |

PARIS (Commodity Online): The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) has mooted a life-cycle approach encompassing fertiliser production, transport and use to reduce the impact of the industry on climate change.

A white paper, “Fertilizers, Climate Change and Enhancing Productivity Sustainably” provides a review of the impact of fertiliser industry, both negative and positive, on climate change.

The fertilizer life-cycle accounts for 2 to 3% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, nitrogen fertilizers are estimated to contribute to feeding as much as half of the world’s population. As agricultural production rises to meet food, feed, fibre and bioenergy demand worldwide, fertilizer use will also increase. Climate change creates an imperative for the fertilizer industry to contribute to mitigation and adaptation in order to achieve a more sustainable path to global food security. Increasing agricultural productivity, through efficient fertilizer use, is critical to prevent further deforestation, protect biodiversity, and thus reduce the emissions level per unit of agricultural output.

The fertilizer industry recognizes that it contributes directly and indirectly to GHG emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and it has set as a priority to reduce them. The technology and knowledge is available to achieve significant reductions. Some of the current solutions include: Improving the management of operations using Best Production Techniques, in order to reduce energy consumption and direct GHG emissions in natural gas-based ammonia production, which carries the largest share of the industry’s emissions. IFA estimates that the potential energy savings could reach 15% globally.
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Utilizing state-of-the art technology, such as secondary N2O abatement catalysts in nitric acid production. Energy savings could reach more than 25% (and possibly 40% if Best Available Techniques become the norm).

The improved performance in all manufacturing processes has an emissions reduction potential of up to about 120 Tg CO2-equivalent per year. Future Carbon Capture and Storage technology may add some 100 Tg CO2-equivalent in coal-based ammonia production facilities (principally in China).

The fertilizer industry has an economic rationale and direct control over the performance of its production facilities. However, the production of fertilizers accounts for less than 1% of total GHG emissions and fertilizer use for 1.5%. The industry is helping farmers to reduce emissions by sharing knowledge, products and technologies to improve the efficiency of fertilizer use in the field. IFA has developed a global framework for Fertilizer Best Management Practices, in partnership with policymakers, scientists, extension agents and farmers, to ensure that an ever-growing number of farmers uses the 4R approach: Right Product @ Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place. Good agricultural practices are essential in order to minimize unwanted impacts of intensified agriculture. In addition, judicious fertilizer use helps increase cultivated soil carbon reserves by increasing the photosynthetic conversion of CO2 to biomass that is subsequently converted to soil organic matter. The paper notes the potential gain of soil carbon sequestration on degraded soils, such as in much of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Fertilizer production and agriculture are both truly global businesses. Policy decisions related to climate change need to take into account local conditions and the possibility of trade substitution (which could lead to “carbon leakage”). Otherwise, competitiveness could be distorted and emissions reduction targets could be undermined. Appropriate and timely policy decisions are critical to ensure desired emissions reductions. They should recognize early adopters and providers of improved technologies in order to encourage appropriate investments in the near term. Financing mechanisms need to address barriers to technology adoption. They also need to take into account the specific needs of agriculture.

Efforts by the fertilizer industry to take responsibility for its greenhouse gas emissions can only be fully effective if policymakers and other stakeholders, such as farmers, also play their part. The critical goals of protecting food security, reducing poverty and fighting climate change must coexist. The fertilizer industry, along with other members of civil society, calls on governments to include agriculture in the post-Kyoto negotiations that will take place in December in Copenhagen. (Courtesy:PRWeb)

Mineral Boost - Adding to PKE

Mineral Boost is Fertco's new and innovative solution for farmers wanting to add macro-minerals to their PKE. Containing Calcium, Magnesium and Salt in granular form Mineral Boost over-comes not only the mineral deficiencies of PKE but also reduces dust, fuss and wastage. When farmers are ordering PKE they can simply ask their supplier to add Mineral Boost at 10%.

Mineral Boost is made up of 75% Calicum 15% Salt and 10% Magnesium

Mineral Boost was developed by Fertco with consultation with Dr Sue Macky.

Available with your bulk PKE from JSwap Stockfoods 0800 45792 and SourceNZ 0508 SourceNZ and available from your local RD1 store in 25kg bags

Dairy footprint smaller now than in the 1940s

 

With all the talk of carbon footprints these days it is interesting to note recent research from Cornell University has found that today's dairy farmers actually have a smaller "footprint" than their predecessors.

In the June 2009 edition of the university's Journal of Animal Science it states that the dairy genetics, nutrition, herd management and improved animal welfare over the past 60 years have resulted in a modern milk production system that has a smaller carbon footprint than mid-20th century farming practices.

"As U.S. and global populations continue to increase, it is critical to adopt management practices and technologies to produce sufficient high-quality food from a finite resource supply, while minimizing effects upon the environment," says Jude Capper, lead author and a recent Cornell post-doctoral researcher working with Dale E. Bauman, Cornell Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Animal Science.

The study, "The Environmental Impact of Dairy Production: 1944 compared with 2007," shows that the carbon footprint for a gallon of milk produced in 2007 was only 37 percent of that produced in 1944. Improved efficiency has enabled the U.S. dairy industry to produce 186 billion pounds of milk from 9.2 million cows in 2007, compared to only 117 billion pounds of milk from 25.6 million cows in 1944. This has resulted in a 41 percent decrease in the total carbon footprint for U.S. milk production.

Efficiency also resulted in reductions in resource use and waste output. Modern dairy systems only use 10 percent of the land, 23 percent of the feedstuffs and 35 percent of the water required to produce the same amount of milk in 1944. Similarly, 2007 dairy farming produced only 24 percent of the manure and 43 percent of the methane output per gallon of milk compared to farming in 1944.

Source: www.farmnews.co.nz

Palm kernel has become an important supplement – and is NOT an environmental monster

Fertco produces Mineral Boost – a product forming an important part of the Palm Kernel feed supplement programmes used by numerous farmers as a cost effective substitute when other feed lags.

Palm Kernel – a by product of Palm Oil production has come in for criticism…. much of it suspected to be unfounded and now demonstrably so.

Here is the summary. Email Brent Wheeler for the full article

Palm Oil – Let’s Inject Some Common Sense.

By Katherine Rich

20 November 2009

Reading headlines such as “Deadly Palm Oil In Your Trolley”, one could easily get the false impression that any New Zealand firm using palm oil is personally responsible for the demise of the orangutan and world’s rainforests.
The use of palm oil has been treated like an industry “dirty secret” - somewhere on the environmental nasties continuum between baby seal clubbing and ocelot farming.
The reality is quite different. Most palm oil is being farmed sustainably on tracts of land that have been dedicated to production for many decades, and rather than being a recent ingredient, palm oil has been used by humans for thousands of years.

Reacting to valid conservation concerns, many food producers are already joining initiatives such as the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil and purchasing sustainably-produced palm oil.

It’s time to inject some reason to this discussion because as the Auckland Zoo says, “not all palm oil is bad – if it is made from a non-destructive source, it's fine”.

AGM Reminder

Shareholders are reminded that the AGM pertaining to the 2008/09 year will be held on 18th December commencing at 11:00am. Your shareholder AGM pack will arrive by mail in the next few days.

Easier for Australian farmers than NZ... but still not good enough

Australian farmers expect to pay more for fertiliser unless they are excluded from the ETS indefinitely.

Right now even a partial exclusion would be a gain in N.Z.

Initial Fertco Blog Posting

This is the official blog of the niche New Zealand fertiliser company Fertco Limited.