It is alarming that South Africa has changed from being a net exporter in 1990 to be a net importer of fertiliser in 2021, despite the country having resources to be self-sufficient in at least nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers, says Sifiso Ntombela.
Rising fertiliser prices are a major challenge for South African farmers. As a production input, fertiliser contributes roughly 35% to a typical maize or sunflower farmer's variable production costs.
For this reason, the fast-rising prices in the first four months of 2022 represent the most significant risk to farmers' profitability and sustainability in the country. Between January and March 2022, fertiliser products such as ammonia and muriate of potash (MOP) increased by more than 50% compared to the price recorded in December 2021.
