date:May 23, 2014
d. Indian fertilizer companies rely entirely on imported potash and heavily on phosphate produced elsewhere.
Since 2010, India has reduced its subsidies for potash and phosphate. That has resulted in urea becoming a more attractive option for farmers relative to the two other fertilizers, leading to an imbalance of nutrients in the soil.
The subsidy program probably can't get any worse, said Potash Corp Chief Financial Officer Wayne Brownlee, speaking at the BMO conference. When you have the f