Crop & Market News
China’s phosphate exports dry up as sulfur runs short
China, which exported about 5.3 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizer in 2025, has shipped almost none in 2026. With sulfur scarce and phosphate prices high, import-dependent markets face a tight season, and every kilo of phosphorus needs to work harder. At Van Polder, we believe a tight phosphate market is a reason to look again […]
Bangladesh’s Barind region turns to solar pumps and drip irrigation
A government project in Bangladesh’s Rajshahi Division has brought solar-powered pumps, including solar drip systems for orchards, to drought-prone land where groundwater has been falling for decades. The Prime Minister wants all diesel irrigation pumps converted to solar within five years. For growers who move to drip, the next step is to feed the crop […]
Brazil’s coffee flowered early and unevenly: fruit set is the next test
An unusually wet winter brought coffee flowering in Minas Gerais forward by about a month, in several separate waves. With October forecast to be hotter than normal and rain patchy, the question for 2027 is now how many of those flowers turn into fruit. At Van Polder, we believe a strong flowering is only the […]
Kenya launches soil testing drive as 63% of farmland is acidic
Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture has launched a national soil health drive to move growers away from one-size-fits-all fertilizer recommendations. About 63% of the country’s arable land is acidic, and the government now wants fertilizer choices to start with a soil test. At Van Polder, we believe good crop nutrition starts with knowing what is already […]
Maharashtra drought: grape growers fear 40% harvest losses
Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 talukas after a weak monsoon, and grape growers in Nashik fear losing at least 40% of this season’s harvest. For anyone supplying fruit growers in India, the next few months are about keeping crops and vines alive and productive with very little water. At Van Polder, we believe drought […]
Denmark exempts fruit and vegetable growers from 2027 nitrogen limits
Denmark’s new nitrogen regulation starts on 1 January 2027, but vegetable growers and several fruit, berry and nursery crops will stay on today’s nitrogen norms for one more year. For anyone supplying high-value horticulture, this is a short pause, not a change of direction. At Van Polder, we believe nitrogen efficiency will matter more every […]
Micronutrient budgets are shrinking. Deficiencies are not.
Retailers in the United States report that growers are trimming micronutrient spending this season, while tissue tests keep finding zinc, boron and manganese shortages. At Van Polder, we believe blanket cuts are the wrong place to save, and the same trade-off comes up wherever main-nutrient prices are high. When nitrogen, phosphate and potash bills rise, […]