MOSCOW, October 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
PhosAgro ("PhosAgro" or "the Company") (Moscow Exchange: PHOR)
(LSE: PHOR), one of the world's leading vertically integrated
phosphate-based fertilizer producers, the International Plant
Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and the Vologda region have completed a
long-term international research project to intensify forage crop
production in the Vologda region using PhosAgro mineral
fertilizers. The results were presented as part of the business
programme of the Golden Autumn 2018 Agricultural Forum.
Fodder grasses are the main element of cattle diet. In the
Vologda region, which has a well-developed dairy industry, 62% of
arable land is devoted to fodder crops, of which about 200 thousand
hectares are perennial grasses. In this regard, new approaches
aimed at increasing the profitability of milk production by
optimising the cost of feed are of particular importance for the
region's economy.
The research started in 2016 at the initiative of PhosAgro and
the Vologda region, with methodological support provided by the
International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), cartographic and
scientific support from the Vologda Federal Budgetary Arbitration
Centre and the N.V. Vereshchagin Vologda State Dairy Academy.
Eurofins Agro Testing Wageningen BiV laboratory (Netherlands) performed monitoring of the
quality of grass and haylage for the project. The Plemzavod Mayskiy
agricultural complex, which is actively developing dairy farming,
was selected as the site for testing the transition to intensive
fodder growth. The project included over 4,000 head of cattle,
including more than 1,700 head of dairy cows.
The new system for growing fodder grasses at Plemzavod Maysky,
in accordance with the IPNI 4R Strategy*, involves application of
PhosAgro-produced NPK 6:20:30 and ammonium nitrate in accordance
with precise timing, quantities and application methods, as well as
the use of a high-yield grass mixture consisting of clover and
grain grasses - CutMax Digest by DLF (Denmark).
The efficiency of the proposed solution versus the established
practice of mineral fertilizer application at the farm was studied
over three-years of field testing on an area of 100 hectares. The
use of an intensive mineral nutrition system increased the yield of
fodder grasses at Plemzavod Maysky by 30% to 10.7 t / ha of dry
matter with an increase in the number of mowings from three to
four. The crude protein yield increased by 55.5% to 487 kg / ha.
The use of the NPK 6:20:30, which is of particular value for crops
that require high levels of phosphorus and potassium, has made it
possible to optimise the costs of mineral fertilizers and field
logistics. The calculation of the economic efficiency of the
project shows that the intensification makes it possible to reduce
the cost of silage production by 25% and reduce the cost of
producing 1 kg of milk by more than 20%.
Svetlana Ivanova, the
Vice-President of the International Plant Nutrition Institute for
Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said, "An increase in dry matter
yield per hectare due to the introduction of effective mineral
fertilizers based on the principles of 4R Strategy increases the
profitability of the dairy business. Each additional tonne of dry
matter reduces the dependence of farms on concentrates, which are
the most expensive components in feeding cattle, and allows farmers
to feed more animals."
"Milk production is a key activity for more than 200
agricultural organisations and farms in the Vologda region. The
region has convenient access to Russia's key markets, and undoubtedly if the
target indicators for the supply of regional farms with feeds are
met, this project will strengthen Vologda's position in the
domestic dairy market. At the same time, we are pleased that this
project was implemented by PhosAgro in the Vologda region, because
it can be the starting point for introducing new agrotechnology in
the regions that aim to be leaders in both the Russian and foreign
food markets," said the Governor of the Vologda region, Oleg
Kuvshinnikov.
PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev said,
"We are confident that this project has demonstrated the
significant opportunities for the domestic agricultural industry
that are presented by intensifying agricultural production with the
help of mineral fertilizers. As part of the target for doubling
food exports by 2024, fertilizer producers see the challenge of
providing agricultural producers with effective fertilizer grades
and advising on their proper use.
"We believe that the results of the intensification of fodder
production in the Vologda region will allow us to extend the
practice of optimised use of mineral fertilizers to dozens of
Russian regions in which our distribution network PhosAgro-Region
operates, providing a full range of PhosAgro products. We are
likewise confident that the promotion of new approaches in crop
production will contribute both to the provision of the Russian
population with high-quality food products, as well as to
strengthening the competitiveness of domestic products on global
markets."
About the Company
PhosAgro is one of the world's leading vertically integrated
phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes
of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a
P2O5 content of 39% and higher.
The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer
in Europe (by total combined
capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of
high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39%, a top-three
producer of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed
phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and
the only producer in Russia, and
Russia's only producer of
nepheline concentrate (according to the RAFP).
PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of
fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate,
which are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all of the
world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets
outside of Russia and the CIS are
Latin America, Europe and Asia.
PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and Global
Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") for shares trade on the London Stock
Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1
June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI
Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes.
More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website:
http://www.phosagro.ru.