Fertilizers and Salts — Potash, Urea, Phosphates and Industrial Salt
Why these commodities matter globally
Potash, urea, phosphate rock and salt are foundational materials for modern agriculture, food security and a variety of industrial processes. Potash (potassium) and phosphate supply two of the three primary nutrients plants require (the third is nitrogen, commonly supplied as urea or ammonium-based fertilizers). Salt is essential not only for food and de-icing but also as a feedstock for chemicals and for the manufacture of some fertilizers. Since crop yields depend directly on reliable access to these inputs, their production, distribution and price stability have direct effects on food affordability and national food-security planning.
TAKRAF Group Capabilities in Potash, Urea, Phosphates and Industrial Salt
We can assist with various equipment, leveraging our two leading global product brands, TAKRAF and DELKOR. We provide solutions across each of the generic value chain steps below.
Potash, Urea, Phosphates and Industrial Salt: TAKRAF Group Capabilities by Process
- Conveyors & Feeders (employed across the entire value chain)
- Conveyors – Note: All conveyor types, from regular belt to tube (pipe) or even overland conveyors, with or without advanced Gearless Conveyor Drive (GCD) technologies – in fact, TAKRAF is currently the only Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) with GCD references in operation.
- Feeders (including apron, belt)
- Belt wagons and mobile transfer conveyors
- Conveyor bridges
- Mining:
- Comminution:
- Crushing:
- Crushing plants – Note: TAKRAF Crushing Plants can include our TAKRAF X-TREME Class Sizer or 3rd party crushing technologies
- IPCC systems
- Sizers (including X-TREME Class)
- Crushing:
- Separation & Concentration:
- Flotation:
- Dewatering:
- Filtration:
- Product Sorting & Handling:
- Tailings Management:
Phosphate and Fertilization: A Landmark Contract for Stockyard Machines
In 2025, TAKRAF secured a landmark order for the supply of seven stockyard machines for a leading company for phosphate and fertilization solutions in North-West Africa. This was the second significant order in the region with the same end-user in just a short space of time; although in this instance, the order was for TAKRAF Spreaders.
The stockyard machines order includes the engineering and supply of seven machines for an important Phosphate Hub and includes four TAKRAF Stackers, two TAKRAF Bucket-Wheel Reclaimers and a TAKRAF Portal Reclaimer.
This order is a testament to TAKRAF’s expertise in delivering integrated stockyard solutions that stack and reclaim material as efficiently as possible and our ability to deliver under demanding conditions.
Key Challenges
Mining and processing these materials require geology-specific approaches, ranging from underground and solution mining for potash, to large chemical plants for urea, open-pit and beneficiation circuits for phosphate rock and evaporation or shaft mining for salt. Depending on the chosen approach, our TAKRAF and/or DELKOR equipment can assist in extracting, handling and processing such material in the most efficient way possible.
Environmental and social concerns are also of utmost importance and include water use, tailings and brine management, emissions from energy-intensive synthesis (especially urea and ammonia) and local community impacts. Especially regarding water use and tailings management, our DELKOR dewatering and TAKRAF Group Dry Stacking Tailings (DST) solutions can really make a difference.
Potash, Urea, Phosphates and Industrial Salt – Further Insight:
Potash - The Potassium Backbone of Fertilizers
Potash denotes a variety of mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium in water-soluble form. Potash is typically produced from underground evaporite deposits or from brines in some regions. In order to meet rising crop-nutrient demand, global potash production capacity has been expanding, with Canada, Russia and Belarus as major producers. Producers and governments continue to plan new mines and expansions to ensure supply resilience and support agricultural intensification.
Urea - Concentrated Nitrogen for Higher Yields
Urea is the most widely used solid nitrogen fertilizer thanks to its high concentration and cost-effectiveness. Production is however energy-intensive and tightly linked to natural gas supply and prices, which means that geopolitical events and gas-market dynamics can quickly affect availability and cost.
Phosphate Rock — the P in Fertilizer
Phosphate rock is mined and processed into phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizers. Global phosphate production and capacity has shown modest growth, with this set to increase in the future driven by population growth and intensified cropping, prompting investment in new mining and beneficiation projects in several regions. Major producing countries include China, Morocco and the United States.
Industrial and Salt-Grade Sodium Chloride
Salt (sodium chloride) is produced by the evaporation of seawater, solution mining and conventional mining of rock salt. Beyond food uses, salt is critical for chemical manufacturing, de-icing and many industrial processes. China, the United States, India and Germany are among the largest producers with the scale and regional distribution of salt production making it a strategically important raw material for diverse industries.
Key Takeaways
The demand for fertilizers is expected to grow driven primarily by population growth and dietary changes; however, supply-side dynamics (energy costs, geopolitics, new capacity) will remain challenging. For policymakers and industry, priorities are securing diversified supply chains, improving nutrient-use efficiency in agriculture and accelerating low-carbon and circular solutions to make fertilizer production and salt extraction more sustainable and resilient. As TAKRAF Group, we look forward to supporting all stakeholders and driving meaningful value and change in this area.