THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

No poop for you: Manure supplies run short as fertilizer prices soar

No poop for you: Manure supplies run short as fertilizer prices soar

Livestock manure has become a coveted crop nutrient for farmers looking to cut costs, but the price of this precious poop has risen dramatically recently by supply issues and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Industrial fertilizers such as nitrogen require a lot of energy to produce. Prices started to surge last year amid rising demand and lower supply as record natural gas and coal prices triggered output cuts by fertilizer manufacturers. Extreme weather and COVID-19 outbreaks also roiled global supply chains.

War in Ukraine has made the situation worse by reducing fertilizer exports from Russia and its ally Belarus due to Western sanctions and shipping snags. That threatens to shrink harvests around the world at a time of record food inflation. Combined, Russia and Belarus accounted for more than 40% of global exports of potash last year, one of three critical nutrients used to boost crop yields, according to Dutch lender Rabobank.

As of March, commercial fertilizer prices reached a record high, with nitrogen fertilizer jumping four-fold since 2020 and phosphate and potash up three-fold, said London-based consultancy CRU Group.

Farmers have turned to use solid and liquid manure as an alternative.

With demand for manure surging, prices have followed, delivering an unexpected windfall to livestock producers and cattle feedlots.

Manure is typically cheaper than chemical fertilizers like nitrogen and phosphate, however, the price of good-quality solid manure is getting more expensive.

In Nebraska, good-quality dried manure is selling for between $11- $14 per ton, nearly double the price of last year.

Demand for animal waste also has farmers scrambling to find equipment to transport and spread the desired excrement.

In Canada, Husky Farm Equipment Ltd is completely sold out of "honey wagons", light-weight steel tanks used to haul manure, for the next 6 months.

The average size Husky Farm Equipment Ltd honey wagon is 6000 U.S. gallons and can hold up to 24 tons of faeces.

When the commercial fertilizer frenzy does start to ease and prices cool, manure is still expected to remain a hot commodity on farm fields.

RELATED
nationthailand