The industry, dominated by the farmer co-operative duopoly of Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients, said without access to phosphate rock, rural production would fall by "at least" 50%. With the mines at both Christmas Island and Nauru no longer viable, the largest source of commercial grade phosphate rock is Morocco and Western Sahara. The mine is owned by Moroccan state-owned company OCP, which as the global leader in phosphate production and export in all its forms, employs about 21,000 people. "There are no alternatives that offer the same performance," according to a report from the Fertiliser Quality Council. Soil consultants, however, say there are other options, such as reactive phosphate rock (RPR), diammonium phosphate (DAP) and other products made of bird guano, the latter primarily imported from small mines in Indonesia.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 16, 2019 15:44 UTC