Global Fertilizer Demand May Rise 14% on Higher Food Demand

(Bloomberg) — Global fertilizer demand may rise 14 percent by 2012 as farmers increase plantings to benefit from high prices and growing food consumption, the International Fertilizer Industry Association said.

Demand may increase to 193 million metric tons by 2012, from 169 million tons in 2007, the Paris-based industry group forecast today during a presentation at a Shanghai conference.

Potash, used in fertilizers, reached a record this year amid a shortage of crops used for food, animal feed and biofuels. Prices of the soil nutrient may almost double to $900 a ton in the next two to three years, Potash One Inc. said yesterday.

Bloomberg