The article in the West Australian for those that can't view...

The article in the West Australian for those that can't view it.

WA’s aspiring sulphate of potash players are basking in a steep price rally and potential further upside after Western countries this week slapped tough sanctions on big fertiliser producer Belarus.
ASX-listed Kalium Lakes co-founder and director Brent Smoothy said the better prices could add a further $15-$18 million in revenue a year to his company’s bottom line, and further validated earlier plans to expand production.
Sanctions against Belarus were extended this week to intensify pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, after the May 23 forced diversion and landing of a Ryanair flight to arrest a journalist and his girlfriend.
Besides banking, oil and tobacco, the eastern European country is also one of the world’s biggest exporters of potash fertilisers, alongside Canada.
Mr Smoothy — whose Kalium Lakes’ Beyondie project, pictured, south-east of Newman is on track to start producing in the September quarter — said the fledgling SOP industry in WA would benefit from tighter global supply.
Potash prices have rallied this year as higher global grain prices prompted farmers to increase fertiliser spending, but it was mounting scrutiny on the Lukashenko regime that triggered a 30 per cent rise in the past month, he said.
“It’s unfortunate for Belarus, but the timing could not be better for us,” Mr Smoothy, pictured right, said.
“Kalium is commissioning now and will be producing in the September quarter.
“Already our forecasts have increased by $US50/t, we’re expecting that to go to $US100/t. That’s worth an extra $15-$18m a year to us at those levels, and some analysts are already predicting prices could go higher.
”Kalium — which has a binding offtake agreement with German fertiliser supplier K+S — last year lifted its forecast annual production from Beyondie from 90,000t to 120,000t, rising to about 360,000t by year four of operation.
“We were planning to increase production anyway but this nails the case,” Mr Smoothy said.
An announcement earlier this week that the world’s biggest fertiliser producer Canadian-headquartered Nutrien would ramp up its 2021 potash production in response to tighter global markets did not dampen Mr Smoothy’s optimism.
“Even with Nutrien increasing supply, it will only fill organic growth, it won’t plug the gap caused by the Belarus sanctions,” he said.
Other aspiring WA SOP producers include Agrimin’s Lake Mackay project in the East Pilbara, Australian Potash’s Lake Wells near Laverton, Salt Lake Potash’s Lake Way near Wiluna, and BCI Minerals’ Mardie salt and potash project near Karratha.
Kalium shares fell 0.5¢ to 26¢ at the close.

Hopefully an update and commissioning news is not to far away.