Fertilizer industry achieves record fertilizer shipments in 2020

Ottawa, ON – Canada’s fertilizer industry overcame rail disruptions and COVID-19 to ensure Canadian farmers had all the crop nutrients they needed for planting this spring, new Statistics Canada data shows.

 

The industry not only delivered on its commitments to farmers, but based on cumulative data reported by Statistics Canada, fertilizer shipments of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer reached record levels in Canada in 2020. Shipments of potash and sulphur were steady, down only slightly from near record levels, for the year ended June 30. Many farmers are now predicting bumper crops this fall.

 

“The fertilizer industry is a reliable sector that will remain well-positioned for success provided that the supply chain, our stakeholders and governments continue working together to ensure disruption-free access to fertilizer for our grower customers,” said Garth Whyte, President and CEO at Fertilizer Canada. “Nothing makes our industry happier than a successful growing season for farmers.”

 

As Canada begins to recover from the global COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian fertilizer is essential for the secure and reliable growth of food in Canada and around the world. It provides nutrients that crops need for growing and for our economy to keep thriving. A successful harvest this fall will be critical to Canada’s long-term goal of recovery, following a year of considerable uncertainty due to the global pandemic. The fertilizer industry also had to work overtime to recover from a rail strike in late 2019 and blockades in early 2020.

 

“The fertilizer industry takes our role in feeding the world seriously. It’s in everyone’s interest to have a successful harvest this fall and to be prepared for spring planting in 2021,” said Whyte. “To do that, we must invest in the critical infrastructure to maintain our global competitiveness, especially as we look to uncertain weather in the coming winter months.”

 

Fertilizer Canada continues to engage with both federal and provincial governments to maintain our status as an essential service. Governments must continue to provide the necessary flexibility to ensure the delivery of fertilizer, which is not only critical for a successful planting season, but for key inputs to our manufacturing processes.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.