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Fertilizer consumption in 2009 in Argentina
Fertilizer consumption in 2009 in Argentina
Fertilizar Association, the association of fertilizer companies of Argentina, indicate that fertilizer consumption decreased by almost 5% in 2009 respect to 2008 (2.6 million t), reaching approximately 2.47 million t (Fig. 1). This decrease follows a decline of 29.5% in 2008 from the record consumption year of 2007 (3.69 million t). N and S fertilizers consumption decreased by 11% and 25%, but P fertilizer consumption increased by 2%. Fertilizer consumption along 2009 shows a large concentration towards the second semester, indicating a higher use in soybean, and maize, and a lower use in wheat crops respect to previous years (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1. Fertilizer consumption in Argentina 2006-2009. Source: Fertilizar AC.
Fig.2. Fertilizer consumption in Argentina, per trimester, in 2009. Source: Fertilizar AC.
The decrease in fertilizer consumption in the last two seasons has been attributed to two reasons: i) the international crisis of 2008 that resulted in increases in fertilizer prices and decreases in grain prices, and ii) the strong decrease in area planted to wheat and corn because of the severe drought that affected Argentina in 2008 and 2009, and the decision of farmers to decrease the planted area to these crops because of restrictions in grain marketing from governmental policies. Table 1 shows the evolution of planted area of the main grain crops in Argentina from 2006 to 2009. Since 2007, area planted to wheat, maize, and sunflower decreased by 46%, 27%, and 43%.
Table 1. Area planted to the main grain crops in Argentina, 2006-09. Source: Ministry of Agriculture, http://www.minagri.gob.ar/
Crop | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
------------------------------ ha ------------------------------ |
Barley | 339360 | 439915 | 589000 | 500000 |
Maize | 3580000 | 4240000 | 3489000 | 3094207 |
Rice | 168300 | 183550 | 205450 | 216000 |
Soybean | 16141000 | 16600000 | 18000000 | 18086960 |
Sunflower | 2381000 | 2620000 | 1957000 | 1486210 |
Wheat | 5676000 | 5948000 | 4732000 | 3200000 |
IPNI Southern Cone has been working to provide more and better information and knowledge to farmers and agronomists to take advantage of favorable weather conditions in the 2009/10 as well as to improve cop production under non-favorable weather conditions through efficient nutrient management. More information on best management practices for fertilizer use is available at www.ipni.net/lasc.
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