farming is mining!

Farmers remove nutrients from the soil and if they are not replaced, fertility will drop.

"One bushel of corn will remove 0.43 lbs of phosphate and 0.28 lbs of potash, and one bushel of beans will remove 0.85 lbs of phosphate and 1.3 lbs of potash. " With the increase in farm production world wide, it is a reasonable conclusion that the amount of nutrients being 'mined' from the soil has increased also.

Here is a quote from a US farming report

" When Fernandez analyzed the soil test results from 600 fields over half of Illinois, he found that 59% of the soils had adequate levels of P, 22% were at a maintenance level, and 19% were at a critical level in need of a phosphate application. For potash, 31% of the fields were above a level that would recommend an application, 24% were at a maintenance level, and 45% were at a critically low level. Subsequently, he suggests more attention be paid to K than P." This indicates to me that there are properties in the US that are becoming deficient in soil nutrients and the proposed increase in corn plantings has to do with the amount of P left in the soil at the moment. There will be a need to pick up the levels of nutrients this year or next and demand will affect fertilizer prices.

The small price rise today gives a hint that someone may know something is coming for MAK this week.