The UN’s Food and Agriculture Committee estimates that global demand for the three main fertilizer nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus expressed as phosphate, and potassium expressed as potash) will grow annually on average by approximately 2 percent respectively from 2015 to 2020. Global capacity for production of fertilizers, intermediates and raw materials is also expected to increase over that timeframe. The market for fertilizer is also shifting. As agri-producers increasingly to produce and export crops labelled with organic product codes to take advantage of rising prices in the sector, demand is rising for appropriate bio-fertilizers which can replace traditional chemical products.

Conducting international transactions with global suppliers has been a major source of revenue growth for fertilizer producers in developed and developing countries. Although international trade ventures can be inherently risky, and the lengthy trade cycles caused by transportation of the products can cause cashflow issues for firms with full order books, all these issues can be mitigated if the firms involved fully explore their options for trade finance. Partnered with financiers equipped with the finance and tools to support these ventures, fertilizer traders are extremely well placed to capitalise on growing global demand for their products to grow their revenues and profits.