VN has 86 mill people and is a major rice exporter. I found this on http://english.vietnamnet.vn .... at the end a reference on K in rice production and potential spreading of the problem in asia is discussed, reading section 1.1 is interesting from a fertiliser perspective.
from vietnamnet:
"A multi-layered distribution system, high production and transport costs, and an artificial supply shortage have fuelled domestic fertiliser and steel prices despite the State's price stabilisation measures, industry insiders have said.
Fertiliser prices continue to rise amid strong demand for the ongoing summer-autumn crop. The price started increasing by VND1,000-3,000 a kilo since late last year.
For example, in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region, urea fertiliser rose by VND1,300 to VND9,800 a kilo while diammonium phosphate (DAP) went up by VND2,000 to VND15,000 a kilo, potassium by VND2,200 to VND12,200 a kilo, and NPK by VND2,000 to VND11,000 a kilo.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy director of the Finance Ministry's Pricing Management Department, said the State had offered support policies to stabilise fertiliser prices, including the zero per cent import tax and incentive input prices for locally made fertilisers.
However, problems still exist in the management and implementation of price stabilisation measures. In addition, there is a weak supply-demand regulation system because of poor and inconsistent information.
Tuan said the fertiliser association has not paid enough attention to having an adequate level of fertiliser storage, which has pushed prices up as demand ran high.
Soaring fertiliser prices have also occurred because of speculation, the overlapping distribution network, and monopolies existing in the market, he added.
Nguyen Loc An, deputy head of the Industry and Trade Ministry's Domestic Market Department, said the increase in fertiliser prices resulted from heavy reliance on the import market.
He said the country would need 8.5 million tonnes of fertiliser this year, but the local market could only produce 5.9 million tonnes.
He said the local market has had to import 100 per cent or 1.3 million tonnes of potassium and South Africa (SA) fertiliser, 50 per cent or 990,000 tonnes of urea, 40 per cent or 260,000 tonnes of DAP.
He added that volatile fertiliser prices were also due to the supply-demand imbalance and an uncertain supply."
and the other reference is: http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/edepot/121463
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