A/21/82

August 2021

Public Summary
Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook
2021 – 2025
Market Intelligence Service

IFA Secretariat

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This report is a public summary of IFA’s Medium-Term Outlook, prepared by the Market Intelligence
Service to accompany IFA’s Medium-Term Outlook Presentation Series, which is available to IFA
members only:

 Laura Cross, Director

 Armelle Gruère, Program Manager - Demand
 José de Sousa, Program Manager – Supply
 Olivier Rousseau, Senior Market Analyst – Potash & NPK
 Grace Chilande, Fertilizer Demand Analyst
 Sylvie Marcel-Monnier, Project Coordinator

with the kind contribution of Samy Beltaief, Policy Analyst

Disclaimer of Liability for IFA Reports/Presentations

IFA endeavors to base its reports and presentations on accurate information, to the extent reasonably
possible under the circumstances. However, neither IFA nor its members warrant or guarantee any
information IFA publishes or presents, and they disclaim any liability for any consequences, direct or
indirect, arising from the use of or reliance upon IFA publications or presentations by any person at
any time.

Copyright © 2021 International Fertilizer Association - All Rights Reserved

ECONOMIC AND POLICY Agriculture faring well amid inflation and
supply-chain concerns
CONTEXT The faster than expected global recovery is
reflected in a smaller decline in world
The global economic recovery following merchandise trade than anticipated. Trade in
Covid-19 will be uncertain and uneven agricultural goods fared better than fuels,
mining and manufacturing in 2020, owing to
The combination of successful Covid-19 vaccine government intervention policies and food
development and improved management of the security concerns.
economic impact of the virus has enabled
The pick-up in economic growth has led to
stronger-than-expected global performance in
inflation across a number of metrics. Part of this
2021. Economic growth rates were higher than
increase relates to supply and demand balances,
anticipated in Q1 2021 across advanced and
as demand growth outpaces supply in the short-
developing economies.
term for some sectors such as fuel and lumber.
Global GDP growth is forecast at 5.8% in 2021,
Inflation reflects not only surging commodity
and 4.4% in 2022 according to forecasts by the
prices but also a sharp increase in freight costs.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
This is due to a combination of booming demand
Development (OECD) in May 2021. The
for consumer goods in Asia and supply-side
continuation of this recovery over the medium-
bottlenecks. This situation is expected to persist
term is expected to be uneven between regions,
through mid-2021 as port congestion continues.
and dependent on the effectiveness of
vaccination programs and public health policies. Climate change policies are intensifying
Emerging economies are projected to grow
The current policy environment is dominated by
faster than advanced economies. China and
an increase in climate change related policies
Turkey have returned to pre-pandemic activity
affecting fertilizer use, summarized below.
levels while Russia, the US, India, and Indonesia
are projected to return to pre-pandemic levels In the European Union (EU), the Farm to Fork
in the course of 2021, while Argentina is not strategy targets a 25% increase in organic area
expected to recover before 2026. and a 50% reduction in nutrient losses by 2030.
The UK and New Zealand have implemented
A shifting risk outlook as inflation returns maximum nitrogen application rates. In Asia,
China’s zero growth policy on fertilizer use is
In the first half of 2021, governments continued
expanding, enabled by increased adoption of
to place emphasis on food security thanks to
fertilizer technology and best practices.
quick policy action, such as easing access to
credit for farmers to enable fertilizer use. In the In North America, Canada’s new climate
medium-term, we expect government support strategy, launched in 2020, includes an
to essential goods to continue. objective to reduce emissions from fertilizer
application by 30%.
The faster and earlier economic recovery than
expected has shifted the risk outlook, from Government decisions could disrupt global
crisis management to ensuring that the recovery trade flows in 2021
is sustainable. When it comes to fiscal policies,
governments will need to ensure the Global trade of agricultural commodities
sustainability of their accounts. On the remains far more liberalized than in the past.
monetary side, low policy rates and quantitative However, several recent government decisions
easing will require caution as economies return could affect fertilizer trade between countries
to normal levels. These two issues will develop in the near future.
amid lower growth projections for advanced
economies, and inflation concerns.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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 In June 2021, the EU approved sanctions on the Firmer crop prices are expected to encourage
Belarusian potash sector which will impact demand for fertilizers. However, fertilizer
certain product trade routes. Sri Lanka moved prices have also increased sharply since mid-
ahead with a short-lived import ban on inorganic 2020. The ratios of fertilizer prices to crop price
fertilizers, and in July, China was considering an have weakened, making mineral nutrients more
export tax on urea and phosphate fertilizers in costly to farmers in 2021 than in 2020.
response to domestic affordability concerns.
Continued expansion in global crop area,
driven by soybeans

SHORT-TERM FERTILIZER Encouraged by firm demand, global area

planted to wheat, maize, rice and soybeans is
DEMAND expected to continue expanding in MY 2021/22,
but at slightly slower rates than in MY 2020/21
(except for rice).
Crop prices higher than in 2020 but fertilizers
are less affordable The International Grains Council (IGC) expects
soybeans to drive the area expansion once
Global crop prices have increased significantly again. Assuming a recovery in maize yields in
since 2020. This trend is particularly visible for Latin America, new global production records
maize, palm oil, and soybeans. Price increases are expected for soybeans and maize. Wheat
were also substantial for other crops such as and rice harvests are also seen larger.
sugar, cotton, and wheat. One exception is rice,
Crop conditions as of late May 2021 were
for which prices were unchanged year-on-year
favorable overall, despite some concerns about
in May 2021.
soybeans and maize in Latin America and wheat
These higher crop prices reflect strong in the northern hemisphere. A La Niña event
fundamentals, in particular firm demand for caused drier than usual conditions in Latin
food globally. Covid-19 was the standout event America in 2020, affecting soybean and maize
of 2020 and prompted fears of insufficient food crops in Brazil and Argentina.
supplies. This led many governments to increase
support to domestic agricultural production and Fertilizer demand is expected to grow more
facilitate food and feed imports. slowly in 2021/22 after the jump in 2020/21

Feed consumption was supported by imports Global fertilizer use (N + P2O5 + K2O) was
into China, which has been rebuilding its swine estimated at 198.2 Mt of nutrients in Fertilizer
herd after it was greatly reduced by the African Year 2020/21, almost 10 Mt (5.2%) higher than
Swine Fever in 2019. Strong demand for feed in 2019/20. This is the largest increase since
was combined with reduced soybean and maize 2010/11. Nitrogen, which accounts for over half
harvests in the 2019/20 crop marketing year of global fertilizer use, experienced a 4.1%
(MY). Strong crop prices have also been (4.3 Mt) increase in demand to 110.0 Mt in
influenced by the weakening of the US dollar. 2020/21. Demand for phosphorous jumped by
7.0% (3.3 Mt), reaching 49.6 Mt. Demand for
Global maize and soybean production is
potash rose by 6.2% (2.2 Mt) to 38.5 Mt.
expected to remain below consumption in the
MY 2020/21 due to weather issues in Latin The rate of growth in fertilizer demand is
America. As a result, availability is declining and expected to slow to 0.9% in 2021/22. Global
maize and soybean stocks-to-use ratios in top fertilizer use is forecast to reach 199.9 Mt.
exporting countries are expected to decrease in Additional volumes of less than 1 Mt are
both MY 2019/20 and MY 2020/21. anticipated for each nutrient. As of June 2021,
potash consumption was expected to grow
faster than other nutrients during 2021/22.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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At the regional level, South Asia and Latin However, area expansion should also play an
America were the main drivers of growth in important role for sugarcane, soybeans, and
global fertilizer use in 2020/21. Latin America is cotton. At the regional level, OECD-FAO expects
expected to remain the top driver in 2021/22. Asia to drive expansion in cereal production,
and Latin America to drive growth in oilseed
The environment at the beginning of 2021/22
production.
appears different to last year, with continued
but slower expansion in crop area, higher crop The World Bank’s April 2021 projections
prices but less affordable fertilizers, higher suggested gradual but small increases in
freight rates, slowing fertilizer purchases in nominal crop prices (around 1% per year), but
some places due to carryover stocks, and stagnation or even reductions in real prices.
environmental regulations in some countries.
IFA’s correspondents consider government
As of mid-2021, several uncertainties were seen support and environmental regulations as the
as potential modifiers of the 2021/22 fertilizer main influencing factors in the medium-term
demand expectations: crop price variations,
government policies, and unexpected weather According to IFA’s country correspondents,
problems. government support and environmental
regulations were the most important factors
expected to influence fertilizer demand
IFA’s methodology to develop fertilizer
demand forecasts between 2021/22 and 2025/26.

IFA’s fertilizer demand outlook is primarily based Government support was the most commonly
on a survey of country correspondents, combined cited factor in EECA, Africa, South Asia and
with an analysis of preliminary supply and use Southeast Asia (excluding China). Environmental
data, and expert judgement. The correspondents regulations were the most mentioned factor in
who answered this survey represent 40 countries, WCE and in China. Agriculture modernization
accounting for 90% of global consumption. was also cited for China, while agricultural
production growth was an objective in EECA.
Weather (along with climate change) was the
dominant factor in Oceania.
MEDIUM-TERM No dominant factor appeared in the replies

FERTILIZER DEMAND given for North America and Latin America.

Globally, less frequently mentioned factors
included national economic and political
Continued growth in agricultural production situations, crop prices, fertilizer availability,
in the medium-term, driven by yields infrastructure challenges, fallow land, soil
fertility, improved fertilizer management
The OECD-FAO latest agricultural outlook, practices, and special fertilizer products,
released in July 2021, indicates that between
2021 and 2025, decelerating demographic Global fertilizer demand forecast to grow at
growth will translate into slower growth in a slow pace between 2021/22 and 2025/26
demand for cereals. However, demand for
Annual growth in global fertilizer demand is
several food categories (including sugar, fish,
expected to remain around 1% between 2021/22
meat and dairy) is expected to grow faster than
and 2025/26, with a slightly declining trend over
the population, due to an increase in demand
the last three years of the period. Growth rates
per capita.
are expected to be slightly higher for K2O than
To meet increased food demand, agricultural for P2O5 and N. These expectations translate
production growth is expected to come mostly into a gain of 8 Mt nutrients between 2021/22
from yield improvements. and 2025/26. Global fertilizer use is forecast to
reach 208 Mt nutrients by 2025/26.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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 Latin America is expected to be the main Production of the major nutrients increased
contributor to global growth in the medium- year-on-year in 2020 in response to strong
term, but Africa would be the fastest growing fertilizer demand. This more than offset lower
market. industrial demand, driven by the economic
slowdown triggered by Covid-19. Fertilizer
IFA’s latest medium-term fertilizer demand
supply-chains were mostly able to continue
expectations are sharply higher than the ones
operating as normal throughout 2020, enabled
presented in May 2021 in the early stages of
by governments categorizing fertilizers as
Covid-19. However, annual growth rates remain
essential goods amid national lockdowns.
similar for 2023/24 and 2024/25 (+1% per year).
The biggest impact of Covid-19 on fertilizer
Global Mineral Fertilizer Demand supply in its initial stages was on the phosphate
(Mt nutrients) industry in China. Hubei province, which was
N P2O5 K2O Total the epicenter of the virus in early 2020,
2018/19 104.1 45.5 37.5 187.1 accounts for 25% of Chinese phosphoric acid
2019/20 (e) 105.7 46.3 36.3 188.3 capacity, totaling 5.3 Mt.
2020/21 (f) 110.0 49.6 38.5 198.2
Change +4.1% +7.0% +6.2% +5.2% This led to supply disruptions and logistical
2021/22 (f) 110.8 50.0 39.1 199.9 constraints in the Chinese market in Q1 2020,
Change +0.7% +0.8% +1.5% +0.9% however, the impact was relatively short-lived.
2025/26 (f) 114.5 52.5 41.2 208.3 Total Chinese production in 2020 is estimated to
CAGR* +1.2% +1.8% +1.6% +1.4% be only marginally lower than in 2019.
(e) Estimate
(f) Forecast
(*) Compound annual growth rate compared to the Geopolitical and trade defense disruptions
average of 2018/19 to 2020/21 led by phosphates and potash

Between 2015 and 2020, nitrogen products were

Uncertainties the fertilizer markets most exposed to
geopolitical tensions and trade barriers. This
IFA’s baseline demand forecast is subject to
was a combination of the widespread nature of
several uncertainties, particularly the evolution of
the global economic and geopolitical context; nitrogen production, market size, and the role
weather-related crop shortfalls; the evolution of of energy as the major feedstock.
agricultural commodity prices and fertilizer prices In the last 12 months however, there have been
relative to crop prices; the evolution of biofuel
fewer trade-related events in the nitrogen
mandates and fertilizer subsidy schemes; and new
market, and higher levels of disruption in
policies aimed at improving nutrient management
performance, restricting and/or taxing fertilizer phosphate and potash markets. These two
use, and increasing the recycling of organic sectors are more heavily impacted by single
nutrient sources. events due to higher levels of supply
concentration than in the nitrogen market.
In June 2020, US producer Mosaic filed a petition
to the relevant US departments on phosphate
FERTILIZER SUPPLY imports from Russia and Morocco.
Countervailing duties were confirmed by the US
International Trade Commission in March 2021,
Fertilizer supply outperforms expectations in
but the impact was already felt throughout H2
2020, resulting in record output
2020, with imports to the US falling in
The supply of fertilizers was resilient in 2020, anticipation of the result of the investigation. In
despite widespread global disruption prompted mid-2021 OCP formally appealed against the
by Covid-19. decision to impose the duties.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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In June 2021, the EU agreed to impose sanctions Among existing ammonia producers, there have
on specific sectors of the Belarusian economy, been several announcements of new pilot
namely, oil, tobacco and potash. Belarus was projects at existing sites, as well as plans for
the third largest potash producer in 2019, longer term decarbonization of entire units.
totaling almost 12 Mt of potassium chloride Green ammonia projects are also being
(MOP) and accounting for 18% of global developed by companies that do not have
production. In the traded market, Belarus was existing ammonia production, and several of
the second largest potash exporter in 2019 and these projects align with governmental goals to
delivered 10.3 Mt of MOP to overseas markets, include green hydrogen as part of their energy
accounting for 21% of global trade. transition in the future.
In the nitrogen market, CF Industries announced
in June 2021 it had submitted petitions to the
relevant US departments to investigate imports Nitrogen Outlook
of UAN from Russia and Trinidad into the US.

Raw material prices collapse in 2020 before Global supply stronger than expected but
joining wider commodities rally in H1 2021 traded markets diverge in 2020

Natural gas prices were lower in 2020 than the Global ammonia production increased by 2.9 Mt
previous year, triggered by the collapse in in 2020, taking total supply to 185 Mt. This was
global economic activity due to Covid-19. Prices a higher figure than originally expected at the
have since recovered and joined the wider outset of Covid-19. Stronger than expected
commodity market rally that took place in H1 fertilizer demand more than offset lower
2021. Energy forecasts from the World Bank in industrial demand, which was significantly
May 2021 indicated that gas prices are expected impacted by the economic slowdown in 2020.
to remain firm but will not return to the recent
Over 20 projects in IFA’s nitrogen capacity
highs seen in 2018 within the next five years.
forecast, totaling 14 Mt N in 2020-2025
Both the ammonia and sulphur markets had
already entered a period of price weakness in In total, there are more than 20 nitrogen
2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prices projects included in IFA’s forecast, totaling
remained low throughout most of 2020 due to nearly 14 Mt N. There are three hubs of nitrogen
weak demand and exposure to energy markets. project activity: Russia, Nigeria and India.
As a result, ammonia and sulphur remained Russia and Nigeria are likely to increase urea
affordable to phosphate producers relative to exports as a result of these projects, compared
finished phosphate fertilizer prices, which were with India where government-funded
strong throughout the year. More recently, the investment in new capacity is designed to
prices of both raw materials have rapidly reduce the country’s import requirement.
increased, especially the price of ammonia, In the period from 2015 to 2020, global ammonia
which more than doubled in H1 2021. capacity increased by 6 Mt tonnes. This was
comprised of 16 Mt of new capacity, offset by
Green ammonia project activity accelerates as
10 Mt of closures in China, Latin America and
opportunities develop for non-fertilizer uses
Europe. In the next five years, 16 Mt of new
There has been a noteworthy increase in the capacity is forecast to commission, and no plant
number of green ammonia projects announced closures are currently expected ex. China.
in the last year. Proposed projects also have
larger capacity planned than previous pilot
projects, a reflection of technology scaling up.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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 Phosphate Outlook Potash Outlook
Production flat in 2020 as trade reroutes in Supply and trade grow to record levels in
response to US duties investigation response to strong affordability in 2020

Global phosphate rock production reached 207 IFA estimates that global potash production
Mt in 2020, ~200 kt lower than in 2019. exceeded 70 Mt in 2020, a 6% increase on 2019
Phosphoric acid production was slightly higher output. Unlike in the nitrogen and phosphate
year-on-year in 2020, totaling almost 87 Mt. markets, production increased universally
Global production of DAP, MAP and TSP slightly across major producing regions.
declined in 2020 as lost production in some
Strong global demand coupled with the
markets was offset by growth in others.
consolidated nature of potash production also
Phosphoric acid capacity forecast to grow by led to record trade volumes in 2020. Global MOP
3.6 Mt P2O5 in the next five years trade grew from 49 Mt in 2019 to more than
56 Mt in 2020. The growth in traded MOP was led
The bulk of phosphoric acid expansions forecast by improved demand in the US, Brazil, India and
to start up between 2021 and 2025 are located China, following a challenging year in 2019 when
in Africa and the EECA region. Phosphate trade declined. Potash remains the most
expansions in Africa are weighted towards the exposed market to trade, with 80% of global
end of the forecast, mostly expected to start up consumption in 2020 being met by imports.
from 2023 onwards. In the next 2-3 years,
capacity expansions are limited to EECA, Tunisia Capacity expansions centered in EECA,
and Brazil. contributing to 4.6 Mt K2O of global growth

In China, several new plants are forecast to The EECA region dominated potash capacity
commission, but will be partially offset by growth in 2020, with new mines starting up in
closures. In the next five years, 1.3 Mt P2O5 Russia and Belarus. These countries added
phosphoric acid capacity is forecast to start up 2.3 Mt of new capacity in 2020, taking regional
in China, offset by 510 kt P2O5 of closures. capacity to 21.1 Mt in 2020, up from 18.8 Mt K2O
in 2019.
In the 2015-2020 period, global phosphoric acid
capacity increased by 2.3 Mt P2O5. This was A further 450 kt of new capacity was added
comprised of new capacity totaling 5 Mt P2O5 in elsewhere, stemming from expansions in
Africa, West Asia and EECA, offset by closures in Canada, Israel and China. These expansions
North America and East Asia. were completed with minimal delays due to
Covid-19 and took global potash capacity to
In the next five years, a larger volume of
62.3 Mt K2O.
capacity is forecast to commission, totaling
3.6 Mt P2O5, resulting from expansions in several Russia has the largest number of individual
regions but concentrated in Africa and East Asia. projects in IFA’s capacity forecast, with three
projects in the country forecast to start up from
2023 onwards. SOP expansions continue to make
progress, with two Australian projects expected
to start up in 2021. These projects, along with
smaller expansions, are forecast to add 4.6 Mt
K2O of primary potash between 2021 and 2025.

“Public Summary: Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2021 - 2025”, Market Intelligence Service, IFA
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 IFA Strategic Forum, Dubai, 26-28 November 2016
“Short-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2016-2017” P. Heffer and M. Prud’homme, IFA
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