Faced with staggering increases in prices for potassium, farmers are turning to products from Agro-100 that offer exceptional performance at a lower cost

JOLIETTE, QC - The price of potassium, a key ingredient in many agricultural fertilizers, has risen by more than 20 percent of late. This is causing hardship for farmers in Québec and in the rest of the country, already hard-hit by the effects of the pandemic. With planting season just around the corner and demand for products like soy, corn, barley and wheat at an all-time high, many producers are scrambling. More acreage, more need for fertilizers, higher demand, higher prices.  

 

The first shipments of foliar (liquid) fertilizers to farmers across the country are being prepared for the 2021 season (CNW Group/Agro-100)

"It's a situation whereby high costs and high risks make for high stakes and high pressure. There is little room for error because production snags will jeopardize yields and revenues. This is why hundreds of farmers are turning to proKa® from Agro-100" says company President Stéphane Beaucage. "proKa® enriches the soil, it corrects pH and adds potassium (7% in the form of sulphate), as well as calcium, sulfur, magnesium and other trace nutrients."

 

proKa® was developed in Québec. It is certified by the Standards Bureau of Québec (BNQ 696) and is in use in the United States, Mexico and other parts of Latin America. proKa® is recommended when soil analysis indicates a need for lime and potassium. It combines both elements in one application to improve crop quality and yields.

 

"proKa® is an environmentally-responsible product made from residual fertilizing materials such as cement kiln dust. It enhances pH and ensures optimal use of soil reserves" says Stéphane Beaucage. "It can be used anywhere and it is most in need in Québec."

 

Dr. Scott Murrell, researcher with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), says soils in Québec are losing potassium at a rate of about 1% per year. In the rest of Canada and in the United States, the rate of loss is approximately 0.4% annually. (The IPNI publishes a comprehensive statistical report every 5 years supported by data gathered by more than 60 accredited laboratories in North America.)  

 

"Farmers in Québec and in the rest of the country owe it to themselves to replenish and to maintain their soils so that they may thrive and produce the products we all need" says Mr. Beaucage. "Agro-100 products are home-grown and are ready to help you grow."

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.