Optimism Amid Adversity in Fertilizer Business

Phosphate facilities near Tampa Bay narrowly avoided disaster when Hurricane Helene veered off its expected course. StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville says the good fortune was still offset by losses in fertilizer production. “Between Helene and Milton, expectations are a few hundred thousand tons of production were lost.” At the same time, U.S. farmers were harvesting a larger-than-expected corn crop. “On the one hand that’s more cash inflow. That also means more phosphate nutrient removal from the soil that needs to be replaced if you expect the same crop next year.”