Compound fertilizer sales increased by 45 percent

The 10 largest fertilizer distributors sold 86 percent of the total fertilizer volume directly to farmers in the first quarter of 2025. The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) active ingredient content of fertilizers purchased by farmers in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 164 thousand tons, which was the same as the amount a year earlier. The nitrogen active ingredient content was 5.1 percent lower, while phosphorus was 49.3 percent higher and potassium was 36.9 percent higher than in the base period (Table 1). The ratio of NPK active ingredients in the first quarter of 2025 was 85:8:7, meaning that the nitrogen ratio decreased compared to the previous year (89:6:5). The average typical active ingredient weight for all compound fertilizers was the same as in the first three months of 2024: 11 percent nitrogen, 22 percent phosphorus and 16 percent potassium.

In natural weight terms, 518 thousand tons of fertilizers were sold directly to farmers in the first quarter of 2025

Of which 460 thousand tons were single-component fertilizers and 58 thousand tons were compound fertilizers. The ratio of single-component to compound fertilizers was 89:11. The total volume sold decreased by 2.1 percent compared to the previous year, within which producers purchased 6.9 percent (33 thousand tons) less of single-component nitrogen fertilizers, and 45.1 percent (18 thousand tons) more of compound fertilizers. The turnover of simple potassium fertilizers increased by more than a quarter, so 4.1 thousand tons were sold. The volume of single-component phosphorus fertilizer sales – from the very low level of the base year – jumped significantly, more than 12 times (3.4 thousand tons), but still did not approach the level of the first quarter of 2021, when distributors sold 4.4 thousand tons. The low point in the past five years was in the same period of 2023, when only 176 tons were sold to end users.

AKI PÁIR