Today we have the participation of Camilo Soro Simon, director of development and commercial strategy of AGROSTOCK, who introduces us to the products we manufacture and distribute, which are intended to promote the proper development of the crops of potatoes. Also shares with the readers of patatadesiembra.is your opinion on one of the topics of most concern in the sector: The rise of plant protection products caused by the rise in prices of the main sources of energy.
Presentation of AGROSTOCK.
AGROSTOCK is a company belonging to Agrostock Group, group of companies in the agricultural sector dedicated to both the manufacture of fertilizers, such as agricultural production or the development of irrigation works and modernization.
We are in Fraga (Huesca) and we are manufacturers of bio-stimulants and correctors-based nanoparticles and compounds of high added value. We also manufacture and distribute our own NPK liquid activated acid character, with technologies that provide differentiation with respect to our local competitors.
We have national and international presence, still currently working in more than 15 countries across the african market, american and european.
With more than 8 technicians, engineers, agronomists, we contribute to the strategic planning of nutrition of the farms that we advise directly. Our know-how are the primary stone fruit and pome, as well as almond and vineyard. That does not mean to take advice many hectares of extensive farming and intensive horticultural and cereal. Among them is the cultivation of the potato.
Root Development: Elicitech Starter Kit
We like to emphasize the root development prior to the hook, with products of the range Elicitech, as Elicitech Starter Kit. With this product, our plant covers more horizon and therefore may have access to more nutrients and water. [More information here].
Mobilizers of Calcium: Elicitech Pentagram and Nanocrop Calcium
In addition, we are aware of the importance of applications of mobilizing Calcium, to achieve a greater uniformity, conservation post-harvest, hardness and decrease the destrío. To this end, we recommend the application separated for weeks from the week prior to flowering with our product Elicitech Pentagram . If the parcel has drip irrigation, it is the product to use through irrigation system. [More information here].
If, on the contrary, the treatments should be foliar, we have another alternative within the nutritional strategy. Our Calcium in the form of nanoparticle. With these foliar applications we are able to translocate calcium to the tuber thanks to the properties of our nanoparticles, able to assimilate the 100% plant and translocarse to their bodies without any blocking. We’re talking Nanocrop Calcium. [More information here].
Activadores metabólicos y aminoácidos de origen vegetal: Elicitech Magma Mg/Zn
Por último le damos mucha importancia al rendimiento fotosintético y la transformación de azucares. Con este fin posicionamos tratamientos foliares o vía riego con Elicitech Magma Mg/Zn. [Más información aquí].
In addition to nurture, with our recommendations, we are contributing to the activation of the innate immunity of the crop. All this is thanks to the technology Elicitech and Nanocrop. Brands patented by Agrostock and who are at the service of world agriculture.
How Spanish farmers will notice really the climb heralded plant protection products which are necessary in the production of potato?
En mi caso os puedo hablar del encarecimiento de las materias primas para fabricar fertilizantes. Algo que estamos viviendo en nuestras carnes. Ahora mismo el precio de la Urea (nitrógeno ureico al 46%) está rondando los 940-980 $ /Tn. Es aproximadamente 3 veces su precio habitual. Con el N32 pasa lo mismo.
Para la fabricación de fertilizantes NPK esto influye en tanto en cuanto su formulación lleve nitrógeno (N). En tal caso la subida en el precio por unidad fertilizante se ve proporcionada al % de N de la fórmula. Pero este no es el mayor problema.
The major importers of N do not dare (and with a lot of consistency) to bring boats full of N individually, grouped together between them to offset costs. This makes that in addition to the impact on the price have a real problem of supply. This from my point of view affect again the price that in addition to the rise, the organic price for matters of speculation , is added to the effect of “supply/demand”, which can lead to the price of the N to limits never seen before.
How would a rise in prices or a shortage of product to the producers of potato in Spain?
The problem does not stop there. The farmer can be in one of two scenarios:
- Want to buy Nitrogen for its cultivation, and with a steep price and therefore:
- Take less units on the field, getting lower returns on his harvest, seeing variation in the final price of the product to the consumer due to the lack of supply and demand on the rise or maintained.
- Take the same units to the field, and transfer the cost to the trader, who will transfer the cost to the market. Seeing the consumer again an increase in the price of the final product.
- Want to buy Nitrogen for its cultivation, and you didn’t find product to apply.
- Without a doubt, the worst-case scenario because it will comply with the two previous multiplying its effect. Reduced supply due to the lower planting. The lowest harvest etc
In his blog post, we talk about the culture of the potato, but this scenario is transferred to all crops, in particular to the extensive cereal, whose extension takes the cake surface in the global agriculture, the crop being majority on a planetary scale. This will certainly affect the entire world, the first farmers who are going to see increased price of feed, and as always the final consumer in the form of uploads of all the food.
Is this scenario something transient? How long we will be able to combat such a situation?
Other times you may have seen increases of a similar price, but in another context. Never before have we had so weakened the financial system with a private debt and state-in-time highs, and with the gaps in the transportation network and supply so exposed. The time certainly will tell.
For all these scenarios, we firmly believe that a strategy for the producer technically and economically viable for a year as this, is to advance the lack of units nitrogenous through the contribution of bio-stimulants of high added value throughout the cycle phenology of the crop, so that the plant can notice in the least possible lack of nutrients and see boosted their metabolism.
