The market for controlled release fertilizers (CRF) is expected to demonstrate a robust growth as the demand for them will continue to rise due to their enhanced efficiency, high flexibility, improved transportability and reduced environmental impact.
Products like Agrium’s XCU® slow-release fertilizer form a new trend in the fertilizer industry, when higher fertilizer costs turn out to be more cost-effective in the long term. XCU is the next generation of polymer-coated sulfur-coated urea (PCSCU) fertilizers with consistent release of nutrients and various superior characteristics.
Other urea-based CRF producers include Georgia-Pacific, Growth Products, Helena Chemicals, Kugler Company, Tessenderlo Kerley, The Scotts Company, Aglukon, BASF, Puccioni, Sadepan Chimica, to name only a few.
In general, CRF is best suited to meet the current challenges that the fertilizer industry is facing, and these challenges are extremely serious. They are largely shaped by ecological concerns, nutrient management routine and fertilizer application practices, which might be detrimental for the environment. These challenges are especially formidable in the light of new environmental laws and regulations that become more and more stringent.
Coming back to Agrium, this company is currently engaged in very complicated negotiations to promote the merger deal with PotashCorp. The ramifications of the deal are not clear yet due to multiple factors and concerns that could affect the operation of the future combined company as the synergy of the two companies and markets may pose certain risks on corporate and commercial levels.
Detailed analysis of the urea market is provided in the insightful research report “Urea: 2016 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2020”.