Subsidies were a problem Len but now the world is short of food and ALL futures markets in ag commodities are firing, true market signals are directing which crops farmers should grow, not subsidies as they have in the past. European subsidies are inconsequential to how farmers are now behaving. Thats the reality and not one someone who doesn't understand how the agricultural engines ticks could understand.
Slow release fertilizers are well and good if you get reliable rainfall however in dry seasons there is never enough moisture to release sufficient nutrient loads for crops to realise potential. Its all good in theory but practically it only works in laboratories.
They've tried it with Agrotain here in Australia as a urea coating to avoid leaching. Farmers were finding urea granules still intact the next year after drier production years. Unused fertilizer is unrealised profit and a very bad investment.
China has also placed a ban on DAP exports so there is still sovereign risk with the Chinese based producers. I'm sure you knew that didn't you? ;)
