Fertilizers are becoming even scarcer and prices continue to rise. Fertilizer is becoming scarce and prices are rising. KAS costs almost € 400 / t at the German import ports at the beginning of October, AHL is traded for € 320 / t and urea prices are around € 600 / t. The cause of the extreme price increase is the rise in energy prices, with a focus on gas prices More and more large fertilizer manufacturers are shutting down production facilities. The US manufacturer CF Industries was the first to close its two UK plants in Ince and Billingham three weeks ago. Shortly afterwards, the world's largest nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer "Yara International " announced that it wanted to shut down around 40 percent of European ammonia production capacity because production in this country was unprofitable. Now goods are to be imported from cheaper locations.In Lithuania , the nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer and exporter " Achema" canceled its plans to restart the ammonia plant at the end of August after it had been repaired. The high production costs also led to a partial cessation of ammonia production at the OCI nitrogen fertilizer plant in Geleen in the Netherlands . The largest Spanish fertilizer manufacturer Fertiberia, with a market share of 75%, intends to discontinue fertilizer production at the Palos de la Frontera site (Spain) on October 1st. The factory in Puertollano is currently in a shutdown phase due to necessary maintenance work. The Austrian chemical group and fertilizer manufacturer Borealis AG has also announced that it will reduce its production and examine the situation at other locations. Borealis is one of the market leaders in petrochemicals in Europe.BASF has reduced ammonia production at its plants in Antwerp in Belgium and in Ludwigshafen in Germany. In Ukraine , too, the production of nitrogen fertilizers and urea is being cut back. According to reports, the manufacturer OPZ decided in mid-September to shut down an ammonia line and two urea lines. In China in particular, the production and export of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are extremely restricted. Because a cold spell in Asia, which is unusual for the time of year, increases energy prices. Even electricity is switched off by the state.
