The European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (Fertilizers Europe - FE) has recently published the document: Forecast of food, farming and fertilizer use in the European Union 2024 – 2034, which includes estimates on the sector at European level and in the long term and on the prospects for nutrient consumption by crops and by country. It also includes an estimate of the European availability of organic fertilizers during 2023. Below is a summary of some of the forecasts indicated by FE:

-The average of nutrients consumed in the European Union (EU) during the last three agricultural campaigns (2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24) has been 8.7 million tonnes of N, 2 million tonnes of P2O5 and 2.2 million tonnes of K2O. This makes a total of 12.9 million tonnes of nutrients (N+P2O5+K2O).

-During the last three agricultural campaigns, the average fertilizable surface area has been 122.9 million hectares of cropland, leaving 38.9 million hectares unfertilized.

-Regarding the fertilizable surface, herbaceous crops have covered a total of 70.7 percent (41.5 percent are cereals, 9.8 percent oilseeds and 10.8 percent forage crops), while permanent crops (woody) have represented 9.4 percent and grasslands 20.1 percent.

-Taking into account the economic outlook and the possible development of crop areas in Europe, FE forecasts a consumption of 9 million tonnes of N, 2.4 million tonnes of P2O5 and 2.6 million tonnes of K2O in 10 years (agricultural year 2033/34). This amounts to a total of 14 million tonnes of nutrients, an 8% increase over the current consumption. It is estimated that by then the fertilisable surface area will be 122.1 million hectares, slightly lower than at present.


Link to the document on the Fertilizers Europe website: https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Forecast-2024-34-web.pdf