In the past 5 years, the structural changes in the production and supply of potash fertilizer market and the supply and demand in China have promoted the "new normal" of "stable supply, orderly competition and rational development" in the potash fertilizer industry in china". In the face of a more open market and more intense competition, China K man on the one hand the integration of traditional resources, reduce production costs, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, on the one hand, leveraging "The Belt and Road", vigorously expand the international market, accelerate the pace of enterprises going global. How can China's potash fertilizer be self reliant in the shortage of resources? In the wave of supply side reform, how can the industry develop smoothly and steadily? The reporter interviewed the vice president of China Inorganic Salt Industry Association and Secretary General of potash fertilizer branch of Chen Guofu.
The potash fertilizer industry and agriculture development in march"
In the 70s of last century, under the guidance of the Institute of plant nutrition and fertilizer research, China began to try to use additional potassium fertilizer to achieve the goal of increasing production. In the past 2009-2014 years, the demand for potassium fertilizer continued to rise at an average annual rate of 5%-6% growth. In 2015, according to the survey data of farmers' fertilization rate in the agricultural extension center of the Ministry of agriculture, the amount of potash fertilizer applied in China was 16 million tons (in kind), and the demand in 2016 decreased slightly, which was about 1500-1600 tons in kind.
Held in 2014 the Ministry of agriculture rural economic research center of the seminar, some experts pointed out that China potassium soil reached 450 million acres, south 8 major grain producing provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hainan and other places generally lack of potassium. According to the relevant requirements of the Ministry of agriculture's "zero growth plan for fertilizer use by 2020", the amount of potash fertilizer used in the major planting areas in China has been adjusted and complemented and stabilized.
Chinese and China potash industry is closely related to the development of agriculture, solidarity. Chen Guofu said: "in recent years, the rural economic development is facing transformation and upgrading, and there will be some restraint in the consumption of chemical fertilizer. According to the national food production data report released by the National Bureau of statistics, 2016 national grain sown area of 4 million 720 thousand mu for planting area decreased, reduced production of 3 billion 400 million kg, due to lower yields and yield 7 billion kg of grain production in China is over 12 even increase. Because of the adjustment of agricultural planting structure, the traditional fertilizer structure is changing. But we also want to see that the current domestic potash fertilizer prices are not high, it is a good time to grow areas to supplement potassium. From the data point of view, the proportion of potash fertilizer in China continues to rise. It has risen from 1:0.4:0.03 in 90s of last century to 1:0.42:0.14 in 2016. From the level of fertilization, the proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in international fertilizer is 1:0.4:0.42, but the proportion of nitrogen and phosphorus in China is reasonable, but the proportion of potash fertilizer is still very low. Demand for potash fertilizer still has growth potential, and to meet the growing and increasingly diversified demand of potash fertilizer in China has always been an inescapable responsibility of Chinese potash fertilizer."
Self supply ability of potash fertilizer to a new level
Since 2010, China has become the world's largest chemical fertilizer consumer and the world's largest fertilizer producer. However, due to the shortage of potash resources, potash fertilizer in China has long relied heavily on imports. In 2016, China imported 6 million 980 thousand tons of potash fertilizer annually, compared with 9 million 550 thousand tons in 2015, a decrease of 27.7%, of which the amount of potassium chloride imports was 6 million 820 thousand tons. The general trend of imports of potassium sulfate and potassium nitrate is decreased year by year, the market mainly rely on domestic consumption.
The last 5 years has been the 5 year in which China's potash industry has developed rapidly. At present, China's potash production capacity has reached 12 million 500 thousand tons, the output in 2016 was 10 million 200 thousand tons. Chen Guofu said: "China's potash industry from scratch, from small to large, from land to ocean, from pull shoulder to semi mechanization and mechanization and modernization, experienced a hard process. The Qinghai potash fertilizer company, represented by Qinghai Saline Lake industrial Limited by Share Ltd, has developed rapidly in the past 5 years. As the backbone of the backbone enterprises, Qinghai Saline Lake joint-stock company has formed about 5000000 tons of production capacity. The content increased from 60%-70% to 70%-80% and 95%-98%; from powdery to granular, and then to water soluble fertilizer, from potassium chloride to potassium sulfate and potassium nitrate, from agricultural to industrial use, and then to food. In the potassium sulfate industry, in 2016, China's resource type potassium sulfate production of 2 million 20 thousand tons, an increase of 3%, continued to rise. SDIC Xinjiang Lop Nor potash Co Ltd is the world's largest potassium sulfate enterprises, production capacity reached 1 million 600 thousand tons, China is still the world's largest potassium sulfate production and consumption country, in 2016 the global fertilizer industry potassium sulfate consumption amounted to 7 million 600 thousand tons, of which Chinese consumption at 3 million 850 thousand tons."
It is an indisputable fact that China lacks potassium. Domestic potash self-sufficiency rate of 60%, has been a miracle. Chen Guofu said: "that the national Ministry of industry in 2015 report on the sustainable development of domestic potash in the basis of existing resources, annual production of more mining period is shorter, is the development of Chinese potash industry must adhere to the principle of limited potash resources protective development. A series of potash potash people China independent research and development of mining disruptive technology, realizes the solid potassium ore and low grade ore and tailings comprehensive utilization, forming a "unique development model of solid-liquid transformation, mining, mining, and wealth driven recycling.". Qinghai Saline Lake joint-stock company as the industry leader, its development scale has been from 1 million tons of service 30 years to 5 million tons, service for 50 years. We believe that the longer our capacity for potash production will last, the more we will have the right to speak in potash import negotiations. At present, we have the conditions and ability to control the yield of potash fertilizer in a reasonable range, and there is still great potential for comprehensive utilization of resources."
Scientific utilization is the first development strategy
The efforts of China potash fertilizer enterprises in scientific planning and recycling of resources have been a bright spot in the industry development in recent years. Chen Guofu said: "potassium mineral resources belong to one of the 9 serious shortage of mineral resources in the country. China's mineral resources is to identify the soluble potash 10.05 tons (% KCl), basic reserves of 5.355 tons, accounting for about 5% of the total world reserves of potassium base, of which more than 89% of the reserves are concentrated in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai and Xinjiang Saline Lake in Lop Nor, the geographic location of potash in remote, harsh natural environment, supporting the poor condition of exploitation. The potash resources are mainly composed of brine and potash, and the grade of potash ore is relatively low, so the production cost is relatively high. Use of limited resources to the maximum extent to meet the demand of domestic potash fertilizer is Chinese K's ambition, to achieve this goal, adhere to the scientific planning and reasonable exploitation imperative."
Chen Guofu said: "Yichaerhan Saline Lake as an example, potassium utilization efficiency and level has been significantly improved, the total utilization rate of less than 30% from the initial increase to more than 70% processing plants, comprehensive recovery rate increased from 60% to 90% grade, KCl content of the product increased from less than 90% to 98%, so that the scale of potash increased exponentially, Saline Lake the sustainable development of potash. The "Qinghai model" of comprehensive utilization of circular economy in Saline Lake has been highly affirmed by the leaders of the country."
In Xinjiang, the potassium, magnesium, lithium and boron contained in the brine of Saline Lake in Lop Nor are also valuable resources of strategic significance for economic and social development. Chen Guofu said: "the domestic potassium sulfate industry flagship, SDIC Xinjiang Lop Nor salt limited liability company in recent years is also actively exploring both more suitable for the safety of the soil China and new products, fully combined with their own resources. They dig the huge potential of agricultural demand, increase research and development efforts with potassium resource and trace elements, improve the utilization rate of resources in Lop Nor brine, crop science application end demand, the development of high-quality fertilizer, special fertilizer, which has a strong leading role in the industry."
The supply side is changing because of demand
5年来，中国钾肥行业在为复合肥企业做好服务的同时，也在积极开发一系列终端产品。“钾肥企业不仅仅要做原料商，也要逐渐变成综合的服务型企业，开拓我们钾盐行业的新气象。”陈国福说：“国内钾肥行业面临销售体制和供应体制的改革，企业的自我调整是一方面，行业内资源的联合利用也是一个关键点。此外，在具体的产品上，化肥零增长政策、土地休耕轮作、秸秆还田对传统钾肥产品的销售会产生一定影响。作为钾肥行业，尤其是生产企业必须要有一定的危机意识，并且积极应对挑战。”
最近几年，国内钾肥企业在发展硫酸钾镁肥、磷酸二氢钾、硝酸磷钾、钙镁磷钾肥及其它专用含钾复合肥等新品种方面成效显著，在推进食品医药级氯化钾及饲料级、食品级、电子级磷酸二氢钾的应用上也有成果。而随着种植结构调整、设施农业、规模化种植及水肥一体化等的发展，未来农业直接施用硫酸钾肥的比例会逐步增大，全水溶型硫酸钾和颗粒硫酸钾的需求也将逐步增大。在此基础上，国内主要硫酸钾生产企业也已经加快了相应产品的研发和生产。陈国福说：“5年时间里，中国钾肥人站在供给侧一端，并未固步自封，而是在需求端发生变化后快速做出回应，充分展示出钾肥行业优秀的市场敏感和极强的自我调节能力。”
海外找钾探索行业未来
对中国钾肥行业来说，“走出去”是一个重大使命。国际钾盐资源分布不均，中国缺钾但用量巨大。而在国外很多地区，钾矿储量丰富却无人开采。长远来说，在国外勘探、开发钾肥是大势所趋。陈国福说：“海外生产的钾肥不必一定运回国内，能在国际市场销售就可以发挥有利作用。中国企业生产的钾肥能在国际市场上站住脚，就意味着中国钾肥行业拥有了更多话语权。”
5年时间，中国海外找钾从未止步。陈国福说：“5年过去，中国目前已经拥有30个海外找钾项目，其中一部分已经开始稳定生产，甚至实现资源反哺；一部分还处于勘察、设计阶段；一部分则已经完成环评，等待注资投产。‘走出去’找钾，缓解国内资源不足，是一项长期事业，也是行业可持续发展的重点战略。过去5年，我们勇敢迈出海外找钾的步伐，积累了很多宝贵经验，也打下了深厚基础。我们希望更多的中国钾盐人能够加入到海外找钾的行列中来，盘活现有项目，整合各方资源，形成合力，共赢未来。”
