There’s an all-out war on nitrogen fertilizer – that’s pretty clear. But here’s a dot I hadn’t connected before: Russian natural gas prices are another excuse for reducing fertilizer production. This looks like one more way the Ukraine conflict and its consequences are playing into Mr. Globaloney’s plans to wreak havoc with the food supply.
The impact of high energy prices has forced [German chemicals company BASF] to make a difficult decision: slash the production of ammonia, which could have potential consequences for farming to the food industry [sic]…
“We are reducing production at facilities that require large volumes of natural gas, such as ammonia plants,” BASF Chief Executive Martin Brudermuller said…
… He warned about potential supply disruptions that could boost fertilizer costs for farmers.
Reuters details how ammonia plays a critical role in manufacturing nitrogen-based fertilizers, plastic-making, and diesel exhaust fluid. A byproduct of ammonia production is high-purity carbon dioxide (CO2) which is heavily used in the food industry.
The news of BASF reducing ammonia production because of soaring NatGas prices comes as Russian state-owned energy producer Gazprom PJSC is expected to halve supplies via Nord Stream 1 to Europe to about 20%.