Fertilizer: Could Spain depend on Morocco?
Spain is heading straight for increased dependence on fertilizers from Morocco, due to a shortage of fertilizers, following the rising cost of raw materials and energy.
During a forum in Huesca, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, explained that 50% of the fertilizer production facilities are already closed or have reduced their usual production, due to the increase in the cost of hydrocarbons, which is also responsible for the rise in the price of fertilizers, on which several Spanish crops depend fundamentally.
As a result, a survey by the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, undercover of the European Commission, revealed that the cost of fertilizers increased by 110%, compared to 2019, due to the increase in the cost of the synthetic production chain. . Fertilizers, which, according to Eurosat, are the most used, an increase caused by the rise in the price of natural gas, explains Juan Pardo, president of the Spanish Fertilizer Trade Association (ACEFER).
Furthermore, for Fertilisants Europe, the European association of fertilizer manufacturers, almost 70% of European ammonia production has stopped since August due to sky-high gas prices. Consequently, according to the president of ANFFE (National Association of Fertilizer Manufacturers), there could be a lack of important products for the European agri-food sector, which would lead the country to depend more and more on third countries.
Indeed, we observe 13,9% of Moroccan fertilizers, 10,7% from Belgium, 8% from Portugal and 3,7% of Russian fertilizers, received by Spain in 2020. However, should we cultivate other crops that do not need fertilizer, such as sunflower and legumes? This is the question asked by farmers in Spain, who are currently hesitating to plan their crops, because they still do not know how much the price will rise, explains an expert from the Union of Small Farmers (UPA).
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