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Artificial intelligence tools are advancing fast, but Prairie farmers still make the final call<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond recommendations in agriculture, but Prairie agronomists say farmers still make the final decisions in the field. <\/p>\n
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Canada also imports other products such as NPK blends, ammonium nitrate and calcium ammonium nitrate.<\/p>\n
The phosphate comes from the United States, while the nitrogen products<\/a> originate from the U.S. and the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada produces nitrogen and potash but does not produce any phosphate and relies on imports,\u201d Fertilizer Canada<\/a> spokesperson Kayla Fitzpatrick said in an email.<\/p>\n The nitrogen and potash are produced in Western Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cDue to supply chain challenges of getting bulk shipments of fertilizer across the country, it is easier to import fertilizer into Eastern Canada,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Why it Matters: Fertilizer is the most costly crop input on many farmers.<\/p>\n Shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> are causing major supply disruptions in the United States and Brazil, the world\u2019s two largest fertilizer importers, according to an analysis<\/a> by Purdue University\u2019s Center for Commercial Agriculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n The strait carries up to 30 per cent of global fertilizer shipments. The Gulf countries are the largest regional exporter of urea and ammonia and the second-largest regional exporter of DAP and MAP.<\/p>\n The U.S. imported 13 per cent of its nitrogen fertilizer, 16 per cent of its phosphate and 95 per cent of its potash in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cThe United States has a strong domestic fertilizer industry, supplying nearly 60 per cent of its demand for the primary micronutrients,\u201d stated the Purdue report authored by Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier.<\/p>\n \u201cEven so, it remains exposed to major supply disruptions and sharp increases in fertilizer prices.\u201d<\/p>\n Brazil is even more dependent on foreign supplies, importing 95 per cent of its nitrogen fertilizer, 72 per cent of its phosphate and 96 per cent of its potash.<\/p>\n \u201cBrazil does not have a strong domestic fertilizer industry, despite the scale of its agricultural production,\u201d stated the report.<\/p>\n Brazil and the U.S. both released plans in 2022 to reduce their dependence on imported fertilizers after the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted global supplies. However, their domestic production of NPK has changed little since then.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Brazil\u2019s imports have risen, reaching a record 43.3 million tonnes in 2025, up from 39.3 million tonnes in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cBrazil remains in a riskier position because import dependence is high across all three primary macronutrients, and domestic production has not kept pace with rising record demand,\u201d stated the report.<\/p>\n The soybean fertilizer purchasing window for the 2026-27 crop season is happening now in Brazil, while in the U.S. Midwest, much of the fertilizer for this crop year had already been purchased and\/or applied last fall before the conflict began.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite these different impacts, both Brazil and the United States should step up efforts to expand domestic fertilizer production and reduce their exposure to external shocks,\u201d stated the Purdue analysis.<\/p>\n
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