In this article we will take a look at the 15 largest fertilizer companies in the world. To skip our analysis of the recent market trends, you can go directly to see the 5 Largest Fertilizer Companies in the World.
The Fertilizer Industry: An Analysis
The growing global population, climate change, and water scarcity problems have joined forces to put a strain on the production of agricultural products globally. With a growing demand, the need to generate higher crop yields from the existing arable land is rising. This is where fertilizer companies like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE:ADM), CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) and The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) enter the picture. For healthy growth, plants require three main nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). Farmers use fertilizers to fill the soil deficiencies in these nutrients for healthy growth of their crops.
Before we delve into the recent market trends for the fertilizer industry, we need to understand the basics of how fertilizers are made. Basic Nitrogen-based fertilizers, such as urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), and ammonium nitrate, require ammonia as a feedstock, produced most commonly from natural gas, and coal, in some cases. On the other hand, Phosphorus and Potassium based fertilizers require mineral deposits of these elements.
Fertilizer prices have risen significantly in the recent past and may remain elevated at least in the near-term. Urea prices surpassed their 2008 peaks, while phosphates and potash prices are close to 2008 levels, according to the World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook. The Russia-Ukraine conflict led to sanctions on Russia and Belarus, the two leading producers of fertilizers. The crisis was further exacerbated with the reduction in ammonia production due to higher natural gas prices. In addition, China, the largest producer of Nitrogen and Phosphorus, imposed export restrictions to cater to domestic demand.
We have picked the top 15 fertilizer companies based on their market capitalization that are involved in the production and delivery of fertilizers. These companies are some of the largest producers of fertilizers worldwide, with products including nitrogen, potash, and phosphate-based commodity fertilizers, as well as complex and specialty fertilizers.
Apart from the public companies included in this list, there are several privately-owned or state-owned companies that hold a significant market share in the fertilizer industry. Belarus-based Belaruskali OAO is the world’s second largest producer of potash. Prior to the sanctions imposed on the country, the company, through state-owned Belarusian Potash Company, exported more than 10 million tons of its products per annum to 140 countries globally. China, Brazil, and India were its major customers.
Moscow-based UralChem is a privately-owned producer of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers. It is the second largest ammonium nitrate producer in the world with production capabilities of 2.7 million tons of ammonium nitrate, 2.2 million tons of ammonia, 0.8 million tons of MAP and DAP, 0.8 million tons of complex fertilizers and 0.5 million tons of urea.
EuroChem is a privately-held vertically integrated fertilizer producer with mining assets in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Brazil, production assets across four continents, and a global sales and distribution network. The company ranks among the top five mineral fertilizers producers globally, with 27 million tons of fertilizer produced in 2021.
Photo by Sebastian Gómez on Unsplash
Largest Fertilizer Companies in the World
15. Coromandel International Limited
Market Capitalization: $3.4 billion
Coromandel International Limited is a leading crop nutrients provider based in Hyderabad, India. It operates across Fertilizers, Crop Protection, Bio pesticides, Specialty Nutrients, Organic Fertilizer and Retail segments. With a history dating back to 1906, the company currently stands as the largest private sector phosphatic fertilizer manufacturer in the country.
Coromandel International Limited operates 3 fertilizer units for manufacturing approximately 3 million tons of phosphatic fertilizers per annum. In addition to an extensive network of dealers and retail centers across India, the company also has a presence in nearly 80 countries worldwide.
In May this year, Coromandel International Limited announced that it had agreed to acquire 45% stake in Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation, a rock phosphate mining company based in Senegal, Africa. At full capacity, the target company can fulfill up-to one-third of Coromandel’s rock phosphate requirements.
14. K+S AG
Market Capitalization: $4.1 billion
Kassel, Germany-based K+S AG is a leading supplier of potash and potash-related products worldwide. With more than 11,000 employees and production sites in Europe and North America, the company mines and produces potash and magnesium minerals, and markets them for agricultural and industrial use to its customers.
K+S AG sold 3.66 million tons of potassium chloride and fertilizer specialty products to agricultural customers during the first half of 2022.
13. OCI N.V.
Market Capitalization: $7.8 billion
Amsterdam, Netherlands-based OCI N.V. is a leading global producer and distributor of nitrogen and methanol products providing fertilizers, fuels, and feedstock to agricultural, transportation, and industrial customers around the world.
OCI N.V. is the third largest global nitrogen fertilizer producer. The manufacturing facilities of the company span four continents and comprise annual capacity of up to 16.1 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizers, methanol, diesel exhaust fluid and melamine.
12. Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co Ltd
Market Capitalization: $8.3 billion
Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co Ltd is a chemical products company based in Dezhou, China. Its main products include new materials, organic amine, fertilizers, acetic acid, and derivatives, which are sold within the domestic market as well as overseas markets.
Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co Ltd has an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons of urea, and 0.2 million tons of water soluble fertilizer, in addition to other chemical products.
11. Acron Group
Market Capitalization: $10.0 billion
Acron Group is a leading Russian and global mineral fertilizer producer with a product portfolio consisting of multi-nutrient fertilizers such as NPK, and nitrogen-based products such as urea, ammonium nitrate and UAN.
Acron Group was founded in 1961 and has grown to become one of the leading suppliers of complex fertilizers. It operates two mineral fertilizer production facilities and a mine in Russia with aggregate annual capacity of over 8 million tons of fertilizer.
Acron Group produced approximately 5.1 million tons of nitrogen fertilizers, including Urea, AN, and UAN, and 2.6 million tons of NPK and bulk blends, in 2021.
As Russian companies come under pressure, US giants like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE:ADM), CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) and The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) are gaining traction.
10. ICL Group Ltd. (NYSE:ICL)
Market Capitalization: $11.1 billion
Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, ICL Group Ltd. (NYSE:ICL) is a leading global specialty minerals company utilizing its bromine, potash, and phosphate resources to provide solutions for agriculture, energy, industrial, and health & personal care customers. Founded in 1929, the company employs over 12,000 people worldwide with products sold to over 100 countries globally.
ICL Group Ltd. (NYSE:ICL) benefits from an extensive network comprising 38 production sites in 13 countries, 23 R&D centers, and 64 sales and distribution sites in over 30 countries. The company produced 2.3 million tons of potash and 0.48 million tons of polysulphate during the first six months of 2022.
9. Yara International ASA
Market Capitalization: $11.6 billion
Oslo, Norway-based Yara International ASA is a leading global crop nutrition company with 17,800 employees and operations in more than 60 countries worldwide. Founded in 1905, the company produces, distributes, and sells nitrogen-based mineral fertilizers and related industrial products, as well as phosphate and potash-based mineral fertilizers and specialty fertilizers.
During the first nine months of 2022, Yara International ASA delivered 17.5 million tons of fertilizer to its customers across the world. Major fertilizer products of the company include Urea, Nitrate, NPK, CN, UAN, SSP-based fertilizers, and MAP.
In the coming months, European and US companies like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE:ADM), CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) and The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) will be in the limelight as Russian-Ukraine war causes strains in the global food supply chain.
8. PhosAgro PJSC
Market Capitalization: $13.9 billion
PhosAgro PJSC is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizers producers, based in Moscow, Russia. The company is the largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers in Europe and holds a leading position in the production of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilizers across the world.
During the first nine months of 2022, PhosAgro produced 6.2 million tons of phosphate-based & MCP fertilizers, and 1.9 million tons of nitrogen-based fertilizers. Its product portfolio includes Urea, DAP, MAP, NPK, NP, and Ammonium Nitrate, among others.
7. The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS)
Market Capitalization: $17.2 billion
Tampa, Florida-based The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) is a global leader in the crop nutrient industry, producing and delivering phosphate and potash-based nutrients on a massive scale. The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) engages in every step of the production process, from mining to production.
The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) operates through production facilities across 9 countries, serving customers in more than 40 countries worldwide. The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) employs more than 13,000 personnel globally and has annual production capacity of 25 million tons of finished concentrated phosphate and potash.
6. SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company SJSC
Market Capitalization: $19.8 billion
SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company SJSC, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company or SAFCO, is a leading provider of crop nutrients and fertilizers, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1976, SABIC Agri-Nutrients has a global presence with more than 40,000 employees and operations in over 50 countries. Like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE:ADM), CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) and The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS), SABIC is one of the notable fertilizer and agriculture companies in the world.
SABIC Agri-Nutrients produces a wide-ranging portfolio of Agri-nutrients such as urea, ammonia, phosphate, and specialized solutions. The company has an annual capacity to produce a combined total of 10.8 million tons of fertilizer across Urea, Ammonia, DAP & MAP, and NPK.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Largest Fertilizer Companies in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.