Global Shortage of Commercial Fertilizers Will Affect the Already Struggling Food Supply Chain
As if we don’t have enough problems with shortages, it seems there’s a global shortage of commercial fertilizers as well. These inputs are required to produce the amount of food needed to feed everyone. A lack of fertilizer will cut significantly into food production. That, of course, will lead to even higher prices at the grocery store.
In this article, I’ll discuss the reasons for the shortages and what fertilizer alternatives exist. It’s well past time to think outside of the standard supply chain, folks.
Plants need twelve essential nutrients: NPK, of course, but also calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, boron, zinc, copper, manganese, and molybdenum. Deficiencies in any of these will result in problems. Calcium deficiencies, for example, result in blossom end rot in tomatoes and melons. Nitrogen and iron deficiencies result in leaf drop, while a lack of boron will result in buds breaking and dropping off. Iron is a key part of the chlorophyll molecule, which is totally necessary for photosynthesis. Several of these nutrients assist in disease resistance and general plant metabolism. I could go on, but I think you all get the idea.
Anything from Azomite to Milorganite has been, for many years, readily available. The times, however, are a’changin’. Even if fertilizer is produced, transportation has become an additional challenge. Commercial nitrogen fertilizer is a product of natural gas, which is in short supply for many reasons. China and Russia have announced plans to limit or stop exporting nitrogen fertilizer, which is a problem for the rest of us.
Whether urea or DAP, farmers already struggling under higher production costs are now facing soaring fertilizer prices. With farms going under at a record pace, this isn’t helping matters. What little food is available is going to continue to rise in price. Of course, hungry people are even more motivated to do whatever’s necessary to find food.
No comments:
Post a Comment