Fertilizer industry ready to do its part for supply chain
By Letter to the Editor on May 20, 2020.
A healthy agriculture supply chain is the key to Canada’s economic recovery in the coming months
During this period of uncertainty for many industries across the country, Canadian farmers are working harder now more than ever to ensure that agriculture production continues as normal. Deemed an essential service by federal and provincial governments alike, the fertilizer supply chain is ready and equipped to meet growers’ needs during the critical spring planting season.
As we all grapple with the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the fertilizer industry will continue to play a leading role in global food production. Keeping food on the table for Canadians and people around the world remains our priority.
Our members are set to go. COVID-19 contingency plans were quickly established at facilities, in conjunction with being declared an essential service, and there was minimal disruption allowing businesses to operate at a normal capacity. Fertilizer manufacturers, distributors and agri-retailers are doing everything they can to keep their customers, suppliers and employees healthy and safe. The general view is: so far, so good.
In a survey conducted by Fertilizer Canada this month, 90 per cent of member company respondents said that they have enough product on-hand or on the way to get fertilizer to their farmer customers in time for the planting season.
While the industry is currently operating at normal capacity, there are business concerns related to COVID-19 that could affect this, including of potential labour shortages, facility shutdowns and the reliability of the supply chain. In the meantime, we want to make clear that the fertilizer industry believes this season will be normal, if not above average, in terms of fertilizer demand and crop production.
The fertilizer industry takes our role in feeding the world seriously and know that farmers rely on fertilizer in the spring to ensure a successful harvest in the fall. By investing in the use of fertilizer today, farmers are growing hope for tomorrow.
The Canadian fertilizer industry has proven its adaptability in challenging situations to meet not only the needs of customers, but any employee along the supply chain. Once the Canadian economy works to bounce back from this challenging period, farmers and producers will undoubtedly play a leading role in the country’s economic recovery in the coming months.
Garth Whyte
President & CEO, Fertilizer Canada
Ottawa
13-12
Pretty good advertising piece. (Not sure water systems agree with overly used fertilizer application though)
Exactly, our farming family in The Netherlands, a number of years ago, mentioned how fertilizer was leeching into their waters. So very strict guidelines were implemented for fertilizer use.
Also, as small grain farmers here, who could not get big so we got out, fertilizer was one of the many ballooningly expensive input costs which as small farmers, we found to be very prohibitive, of course.
Even here in Canada we probably should be much more strict about phosphorous and nitrogen levels in our waters with regard to the negative effective on fish and algae formation.
Continuous cropping has also increased the need for fertilizer…..brings back memories of well done summer fallowing on the prairies which resulted in less need for fertilizer, including the era of the ‘Noble blade.’
Congratulation on being proactive Garth. Of course the I’ll-advised peanut gallery hast to pipe in. Without fertilizer we wouldn’t be able to feed half the people we currently feed. Farmers have always been good stewards of the land, it is their source of income and they realize it is in their best interests to protect it. Anyone promoting summerfallow obviously can’t remember the blowing soils in Sask. and Alberta every spring. Continuous cropping conserves soil moisture, reduces tillage and therefore greenhouse gasses, and increases yields. As for fertilizer leaching into groundwater, look to the over-application of manure not conventional fertilizers. And as a side-note, the worst run-off of chemical and fertilizers is from the over-application on lawns in the cities.
“Ill advised”. Not at all. Fertilizer is not blameless re run-off. Sure your examples are quite correct but to infer fertilizers do not contribute is wrong.
“Pea-nut gallery? If you say so. But ad hominem attacks deflect from your argument.
the letter is a laugh. and fertiliser today is not quite what it used to be.
as jpn and so.ab. correctly, note, fertiliser is the cause of much environmental damage. runoff into water systems is a serious matter. moreover, the unnatural fertiliser – which even lawn fetishist homeowners clamour for, is a most significant problem.
just a thought – with all the fertiliser created by govt mouths, could we not use that instead of oil industry poison, or is that too toxic?