A RUSSIAN ban on the export of ammonium nitrate, announced before the conflict with Ukraine, is making access to nitrogen fertilisers globally more difficult.
The Russian government made the decisions at the start of the month in order to protect domestic fertiliser supply.
Now, the export ban, combined with sanctions from several key buyers of other Russian fertilisers, mean the fertiliser market is again struggling with the prospect of extremely tight supply.
On the Australian front much of the urea needed for the upcoming autumn plant is already either in the country or on its way, but the Russian decision has had a big impact on other key producing grain producing nations, such as Brazil.
There, with the safrinha, or second, corn crop due to be planted in the next couple of weeks, a short fall in nitrogen could negative impact yield.
Brazil is the largest customer for Russian ammonium nitrate globally.
Many European countries that usually buy ammonium nitrate from Russia would not now be able to do so, even without the export ban, due to sanctions on Russian exports in light of its attack of Ukraine last week.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture! Sign up below to receive our daily Farmonline newsletter.