Show Fertilizer outlook for farmers is grim gram Dr Vaughn Hunsaker Area Soils Specialist Utah State University Extension has cautioned farmers that waiting for far a price break in fertilizers may be a serious error According According According Ac Ac- cording to information received by Dr Hunsaker from the fertilizer industry and university personnel Utah and the state four-state area including Idaho Washington and Oregon will be lucky to get 90 percent of the products used in 1974 The state four area will be tons short of nitrogen products in 1975 During the spring rush rushit it may be impossible to get the needed materials in Utah at any cost WITH PRICES up to or a aton ton for nitrate farmers are naturally hesitant to purchase the materials but the wise thing to do is to purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase now while th the materials are available in Uintah Basin and not wait until the spring rush when supply will be very tight Phosphate fertilizers can be applied into the fields now without loss but nitrogen fertilizers must be incorporated into the soil within hours after application to avoid losses JUST TWO seasons ago fertilizers were one of the best buys in America costing about the same as they did in 1960 During the price freeze of 1973 a genuine shortage developed inthe inthe in inthe the fertilizer industry New markets had devel developed ed abroad and the industry could export for considerably more money than they could sell for at home with the freeze in effect Then came the energy crisis and natural gas was not available to expand the manufacturer of nitrogen products The result of the study production and greatly increased demand has been a much higher cost Prices have tripled in two years The range long-range outlook is not promising either it will be 1978 before newly constructed plants will be in production and the demand will be continuously high The U. U S. S has expanded its crop land by putting millions of acres of set-aside set crop land landback landback landback back into production in addition addition ad ad- to the development out of the great deal of virgin land in inthe inthe inthe the Pacific Northwest |