China Potassium and Potassium Science and Technology Exchange Conference was held recently in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Domestic enterprises that have gone abroad to develop potassium resources in Laos and Canada have discussed ways to crack down on overseas development of technical difficulties with major potassium potash fertilizer manufacturers, research institutes and professionals in the field.
It has taken 10 years for Chinese companies to go abroad to develop potassium resources overseas, but no large-scale production has been formed so far. Experts and industry participants attending the conference heard presentations of domestic companies developing potassium resources in Laos and Canada, and analyzed the technical problems encountered by domestic companies in overseas development and their solutions. The person in charge of the branch of potassium salt (fertilizer) industry of the China Inorganic Salt Industry Association stated that during the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan†period, the overall layout of China's potash fertilizer industry was “domestic, imported, and overseasâ€. The establishment of overseas potash fertilizer bases that feed back the potash fertilizer market in China is one of the important directions for the development of the industry. At present, China has taken a solid step in the development of overseas potassium resources and has been highly valued by the country. In order to advance the project faster and better, the entire industry must vigorously support the construction of overseas potash fertilizer bases, form large-scale production as soon as possible, and play its due role in ensuring domestic potash fertilizer supply, supporting agriculture, and food production. Experts suggest that we must innovate the development strategy of the potassium salt companies going abroad, and try to participate in the shareholding and control of important potash fertilizer production enterprises abroad, and cooperate as their shareholders in capital. This will shorten construction time and reduce exploration risks.
It is understood that the shortage of potash has been a pain in the Chinese fertilizer industry. For a long time, the supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers in the country has been imbalanced. Potash fertilizer has always been a species with low consumption, the least resources, and the highest degree of import dependence. In this regard, industry experts Feng Yuanqi and Zheng Mianping proposed as early as 10 years ago that China should establish domestic production, overseas production, and international import of potash fertilizer by combining potash fertilizer production bases in China and establishing overseas factories. The 1:1:1 pattern has reduced the recent dependence on potash fertilizer imports to 50%, reducing the dependency on imports in the medium and long term to about 30%, so as to achieve a stable supply of potash fertilizer in China and ensure agricultural production. This goal has been included in the "15th Five-Year Plan" and "11th Five-Year Plan" development plans for China's potash fertilizer industry.