Why Potash?

The best thing about spring is that spring ploughing is at the right time
.

The best thing about spring is that spring ploughing is at the right time
.

The best thing about spring is that spring ploughing is at the right time

Recently, relevant departments have issued a notice to deploy Sinochem Group, China Agricultural Production Materials Group, and China National Chemical Construction Co.
, Ltd.

Seeing this news, some friends may wonder why the country should focus on cue potash fertilizer?

Food security cannot be without "potassium"

　Food security, not without "potassium" food security, not without "potassium" food security, not without "potassium"　

For China, a large agricultural country and a country with a large population, food production is not only related to the food and clothing of the people, but also has a profound impact on national security
.

The guarantee of food security is inseparable from the support of agricultural technology and chemical fertilizers.
As one of the three basic fertilizers of agriculture, potash fertilizer plays an irreplaceable and important role in it

Potash fertilizer, one of the three basic fertilizers in agriculture

Potassium can improve crop stress resistance, such as drought resistance, cold resistance, lodging resistance, and resistance to pests and diseases
.

Crops lacking potassium fertilizers will suffer from "rickets", easily fall over, and are often troubled by bacteria and pests.

At the moment of spring ploughing, ensuring the stable supply and rational application of potash fertilizer is of great significance to ensuring national food security and the green and sustainable development of agriculture
.

But what you may not know is that ensuring a stable supply of potash fertilizer is not as simple as you think.
.
.

　　Unlike other fertilizer raw materials, potash fertilizers have serious asymmetry between resource supply and demand, and production capacity is concentrated in a few countries
.

　　China is the largest potash fertilizer consumer in the world, but it is a potash-deficient country.

　China is the largest potash fertilizer consumer in the world, but it is a potash-deficient country.

　　For a long period of time in the past, China's potash fertilizer market demand has been supported by imports, and this situation has long threatened the country's food security
.

　　In order to change the situation that China's agricultural arable land is seriously lacking potassium and potash fertilizer products are dependent on imports, in 1958, a group of fearless pioneers advanced into the vast and mysterious Chaerhan.
They just relied on hard work and people to carry them on their shoulders to achieve "zero potash fertilizer" in China.
"Breakthrough
.

Achieved the breakthrough of "zero" potash fertilizer in China

　　In the late 1990s, in the "sea of ​​death" Lop Nur, a group of young entrepreneurs awakened the Gobi, which had been silent for thousands of years, with their lives and passions .
Potassium-poor" history
.

Removed the history of my country's "poor potassium"

　　With the continuous expansion of domestic production capacity, we also have the right to speak in the international potash fertilizer market
.

With the long-term efforts of state-owned enterprises such as Sinochem and CNOOC, China's imported potash fertilizers continue to maintain the status of the "price depression" of the world's potash fertilizers, reducing a large amount of cost input for China's agricultural production and ensuring the stability of the domestic potash fertilizer market

China's imported potash fertilizers continue to maintain the status of the "price depression" of the world's potash fertilizers, reducing a large amount of cost input for China's agricultural production and ensuring the stability of the domestic potash fertilizer market

Start: Rooted in the Chaerhan Salt Lake, ending the history of no potash fertilizer in New China

　　In China 64 years ago, potassium was required for agriculture and potassium for industry, and the production of potash fertilizer was imminent
.

At that time, relevant experts "searched for potassium" in various places, and finally found the carnallite and pearl salt in the Chaerhan Salt Lake in the Qaidam Basin
.

Finally found the carnallite and pearl salt in the Chaerhan Salt Lake in the Qaidam Basin

　　Immediately, a pioneering team of 19 people came here.
After ten days and nights, they produced more than 10 kilograms of potassium chloride products with a grade of about 50%
.

　　These 10 kilograms of potash fertilizer filled the historical gap of no potash fertilizer in New China , and also marked a firm first step in the history of salt lake development
.

These 10 kilograms of potash fertilizer fill the historical gap of no potash fertilizer in New China

　　Since then, the workers of the Chaerhan Salt Lake have overcome unimaginable hardships in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and have devoted themselves to construction one after another
.

　　From 1958 to 1990, which lasted 32 years, Qinghai Salt Lake people miraculously completed the century-old development of the world's potash fertilizer powerhouse with superhuman courage, courage, diligence and wisdom, laid the foundation of China's potash fertilizer industry, and unveiled the The prelude to China's potash industry
.

Laid the foundation of my country's potash fertilizer industry and opened the prelude to China's potash fertilizer industry

　　After 64 years of arduous struggle, the barren Chaerhan has changed its appearance.
Now the salt lake channels are vertical and horizontal, the water is shining, and there are many towers
.

Scientific researchers have devoted themselves to breaking the technical blockade, and have successively broken through key technologies such as large-area deep-water salt lake field drying, carnal water mining, and low-grade potash ore solid-liquid transfer, and have mastered five sets of potash fertilizer production processes

　　Following in the footsteps of the first generation of Qinghai Salt Lakers, the second generation of Salt Lakers established the Qinghai Potash Fertilizer Plant, built a 200,000-ton potash fertilizer plant, prepared the Qinghai Potash Fertilizer Phase II Project, and undertaken research on the comprehensive utilization of national salt lake resources
.

　　Adhering to the spirit and culture of the predecessors, the third generation of Salt Lakers built a 1 million-ton potash fertilizer project, added a 1 million-ton potash fertilizer project, and built the largest potash fertilizer industrial base in China
.

　　Today's Chaerhan Salt Lake has achieved an annual output of 5 million tons of potash fertilizer, ranking first in China and fourth in the world
.

Starting from a drop of brine, Chaerhan Salt Lake has developed into a modern enterprise group with the most complete potash fertilizer industry in the world

　　For decades, Qinghai Salt Lake Co.
, Ltd.
, supervised by Qinghai SASAC, has grown with the Republic.
Salt Lake people shoulder the country's heavy responsibility, hide the desert frontier, and use flesh and blood to make "China Potassium" a history of 0 to 5 million tons.
The breakthrough has given China, a potash-poor country, a place in the global potash fertilizer market
.

Let "China Potassium" achieve a historical breakthrough from 0 to 5 million tons

　　Growing: Entering the "Sea of ​​Death" Lop Nur and entering the ranks of the world's major producers of potassium sulfate

Growing: Entering the "Sea of ​​Death" Lop Nur, entering the ranks of the world's major producers of potassium sulfate

　　In addition to the Chaerhan Salt Lake, another industrial base that has changed the situation of the potash fertilizer industry comes from Lop Nur on the Gobi
.

　　Lop Nur is located on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert in southeastern Xinjiang and was once known as the " Sea of ​​Death "
.

Judging from the satellite cloud map, it also has a nice name - "Earth of the Earth"

sea ​​of ​​death

　　▲Lop Nur satellite cloud map

　　In the late 1990s, the world's largest sulfate-type potassium-containing brine deposit was discovered in Lop Nur, Xinjiang .
There are abundant potassium salt resources deep in the earth that can be used as potash fertilizers
.

The world's largest sulfate-type potassium-bearing brine deposit

　　With the desire to "allow Chinese farmers to use the world's highest quality potash fertilizer", in the winter of 1999, the entrepreneurs of SDIC Luo Potash entered the forbidden area of ​​life, took root in the hinterland of Lop Nur, and sought wealth from the "sea of ​​death"
.

　　The discovery of potash does not mean that it can be turned into potash immediately
.
Lop Nur is different from other salt lakes in the world.
The ratio of potassium and sulfur in the brine here is seriously unbalanced, and the development is extremely difficult.
There is no experience in the world that can be used for reference.
Some foreign experts shook their heads and said that it is impossible in such an environment.
Potassium sulfate is produced
.
But it is in such a harsh Gobi environment, after more than a year of repeated tests, researchers successfully used the Lop Nur underground brine to produce potassium chloride, the main raw material of potassium sulfate, which solved the serious imbalance of the ratio of potassium and sulfur in Lop Nur brine.
and overcome the key technology of using brackish water instead of fresh water to produce high-quality potassium sulfate
.

　　In July 2003, the first bag of "Lop Nur" brand potassium sulfate products came out
.

Year 2003

　　In 2006 , SDIC Luo Potassium achieved an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons of potassium sulfate
.

year 2006

　　On November 18, 2008, the SDIC Luo Potash Project with an annual output of 1.
2 million tons of potash fertilizer was completed and the one-time feeding trial was successful
.
This is a project that is completely independently developed, designed, constructed and produced by China, and has completely independent intellectual property rights.
It marks that China has officially entered the ranks of the world's major producers of potassium sulfate
.

Year 2008

　　By 2012, the annual output of potassium sulfate has reached 1.
37 million tons, becoming the world's largest producer of potassium sulfate
.

By 2012

　　▲SDIC Luo Potassium Production Base

　　Thanks to the efforts of several generations of state-owned enterprises such as Salt Lake Co.
, Ltd.
and SDIC Luo Potash, China's potash fertilizer self-sufficiency rate has increased from less than 20% at the end of the last century to more than 50% today.
right to speak
.

　　Although China's potash fertilizer self-sufficiency rate is gradually increasing and tending to be stable, in the face of huge market demand, there are still about 8 million tons of potash fertilizers that need to be imported every year
.
However, if we do not have enough pricing power for imported potash fertilizers, it will directly endanger the food and clothing of hundreds of millions of farmers in China.
Therefore, the process of potash fertilizer import is also full of games
.

　　Import: maintain the import "price depression" to effectively guarantee domestic supply

　Import: maintain the import "price depression" to effectively guarantee domestic supply　Import: maintain the import "price depression" to effectively guarantee domestic supply

　　At the end of 2005, China established a potash fertilizer import price negotiation mechanism
.
As a member of the negotiating group for China's imported potash fertilizers, the China Crop Nutrition Business Unit of Syngenta Group under Sinochem ("Sinochem Fertilizer") and China National Chemical Construction Co.
, Ltd.
("Sinochem") under CNOOC uphold the The spirit of defending national interests, relying on rich international business experience and professional capabilities, using domestic potash fertilizer production capacity and other bargaining conditions to seize the initiative, and negotiating with international suppliers, make China's import price in the global potash fertilizer "price depression" for many consecutive years, and ensure domestic potash fertilizer "price depression".
Market demand for fertilizers, effectively reducing the cost of fertilizer use by domestic farmers
.

　　With the efforts of various parties, high-quality potash fertilizer products from various countries have continuously entered the Chinese market and served Chinese agriculture
.

　　It is worth mentioning that on April 3, 2021, the Double Pride ship imported by Sinofert with a cargo capacity of 90,000 tons of potash fertilizer from Jordan Arab Potash Company APC arrived in Lianyungang, China, creating a chemical fertilizer in the history of China and the world.
Record of maximum cargo capacity
.

　　In addition, the strategic reserve of potash fertilizer also plays an important role in enhancing supply capacity and increasing bargaining chips
.

　　In 2009, Sinofert called for the establishment of a strategic reserve of potash fertilizers based on domestic and foreign supply and demand and market conditions.
After demonstrations by government departments and discussions among enterprises, the national strategic reserve of potash fertilizers was officially established in 2014, and Sinochem became the main reserve unit
.
A few years later, Sinochem also joined the storage team
.

　　After the establishment of the national reserve, the relevant central enterprises have maintained a specified amount of potash fertilizer inventory, and stabilized the abnormal fluctuations in market prices through the form of rotation in and out, improving the overall control capability of China's potash fertilizer, and enhancing the right to speak in negotiations, which effectively guaranteed food production and agriculture.
Safe
.

　　Faced with the task of ensuring the supply of chemical fertilizers for spring ploughing in 2022, relevant central enterprises have planned in advance and actively promoted the negotiation of large contracts for potash fertilizer imports
.
On February 15, 2022, the Chinese negotiating team and the Canadian potash fertilizer company (Canpotex) reached an agreement on the annual import negotiation price of potash fertilizer in 2022.
The contract price is 590 US dollars / ton CFR, which makes China continue to maintain the status of the world's potash fertilizer "price depression"
.
Against the background of the epidemic situation and the international supply and demand situation, this achievement is not easy, and it has laid a solid foundation for spring ploughing and food production throughout the year
.

　　After the negotiated price was reached, Sinochem Fertilizer and Sinochem Construction actively contacted various suppliers for specific procurement contracts, strived for early arrival, supplemented domestic supply, and released spring ploughing fertilizer reserves in an orderly manner to ensure a stable supply of compound fertilizers during the spring ploughing period
.

　　In addition to actively introducing high-quality potash fertilizer resources from around the world, fully supporting the increase of domestic potash fertilizer production capacity and ensuring national food security, Sinofert also goes deep into the fields and serves farmers by holding popular science lecture columns, planting technology training, conducting experiments and demonstrations, and field guidance.
Balance fertilization, scientific planting, improve potash utilization efficiency, and continuously innovate service methods to deliver a bumper harvest to the vast number of farmers
.

　　In all things, eating is the biggest
.
A small chemical fertilizer is related to the granary of a big country.
Whether it comes from the arduous plateau and desert, or the negotiating table of arguing, behind every grain of potash fertilizer, there is the hard work and sweat of generations of state-owned enterprises
.

　　With the mission in the heart and the responsibility on the shoulders, the state-owned enterprises will continue to firmly defend food security and take the Chinese people's rice bowl firmly in their own hands!

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　   Source: State-owned Assets Xiaoxin