Nitrogen Fertilizers

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Key figures		2008	2007
Revenues	€ million	1,652.4	1,265.4
EBIT I	€ million	121.4	57.3
Capital expenditure	€ million	10.7	16.8
Employees as of 31.12.	number	1.318	1.311

 

Since 1 January 2009, COMPO and fertiva have also been grouped together in the reporting structure for the “Nitrogen Fertilizers business segment”. Starting from 1 July 2009, we have merged the business operations of fertiva and parts of the COMPO professional business into a new company, K+S Nitrogen. In doing so we position ourselves even better in the attractive fertilizer market and open up new options for growth. In future, next to fertiva products, K+S Nitrogen will also market the ENTEC® and the sulphate-containing Nitrophoska products previously distributed by COMPO. COMPO will continue to be responsible for the following product lines: slow-release fertilizers containing isodur and coatedfertilizers, NPK specialities as well as nutrient salts and trace elements together with the consumer products. In this way, COMPO will continue its business with significantly slimmer structures and a higher level of efficiency and thus be more powerful on the market. Moreover, we intend to open up new areas for growth in the market.

 

K+S Nitrogen

K+S Nitrogen is one of Europe’s major suppliers of nitrogen fertilizers.In addition to the agricultural fertilizers produced exclusively for K+S Nitrogen by BASF, to a limited extent, fertiva trades in the products of other reputable European fertilizer producers.

Complex fertilizers – a balanced mix
In addition to nitrogen, complex fertilizers contain the nutrients potassium and phosphate as well as magnesium, sulphur or trace elements, depending on needs and application. For the complex fertilizers sold by K+S Nitrogen under the Nitrophoska ® brand, the raw materials are combined in the production process in a liquid or semi-liquid state and subsequently granulated. As a result, each fertilizer grain contains precisely the same combination of nutrients to allow for controlled, even spreading on the field. Complex fertilizers are used chiefly for the cultivation of cereals, corn, rape or sugar beet, but also for grassland. The complex fertilizers containing potassium sulphate and marketed under the brand Nitrophoska ® are especially suited to the cultivation of fruit, grapes and vegetables.

Straight nitrogen fertilizers - Needs-based nitrogen supply
The straight nitrogen fertilizer calcium ammonium nitrate can be used for all agricultural crops. To optimise the supply of nutrients, the total quantity of nitrogen fertilizer is frequently divided into several doses during the growth phase.Ammonium sulphate nitrate (ass®), which contains sulphur in addition to nitrogen, is suitable for crops requiring sulphur, such as rape. Furthermore, we market ammonium sulphate nitrate with boron (ass® bor®) for crops requiring boron, such as sugar beet. The nitrogen stabilising ENTEC® fertilizers have achieved broad acceptance on the market in just only eight years. ENTEC® is characterised by a unique nitrogen efficiency and thus reduces the number of applications necessary in comparison to traditional products.

Leading with ammonium sulphate
In the case of ammonium sulphate, a nitrogen fertilizer containing sulphur, K+S Nitrogen is one of the world’s leading providers. Ammonium sulphate is a by-product formed during the process of producing caprolactam in the chemical industry. Fine-crystalline ammonium sulphate is used in Europe predominantly as a raw material in fertilizer production. Overseas, however, farmers spread it directly onto the fields. Our coarse-grained ammonium sulphate, which we market under the brand name Granammon®, is suitable both for direct application in agriculture and as a component in bulk blenders.

  

COMPO

The Consumer business - Strong brands for home and garden
In the Consumer business, the COMPO business segment offers its customers a wide variety of high-quality potting soils, speciality fertilizers and plant protection products. Measured in terms of revenues, with its consumer products COMPO is the leading provider in continental Europe, holding a share of 20 %. In the consumer area, the portfolio includes the major brands COMPO® and Algoflash®. Potting soil is the most important product group in the assortment. In Europe, the highquality soils are predominantly sold under the COMPO SANA® and Algoflash® brands. They offer a particularly plant-friendly base which, depending on the type of plant, is processed with quartz sand, humus, clay minerals as well as slow-release fertilizers and all the important micronutrients for plants. COMPO SANA® water retaining soil with Aqua Depot® guarantees a significantly longer water supply for the plants. In the fertilizer assortment, our COMPO® und ALGOFLASH® liquid as well as lawn and garden fertilizers are the focus of our marketing.

In the framework of our exclusive cooperation with Syngenta, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of plant protection agents, COMPO has been adding further innovative products to its corresponding European consumer range since 2007. A good example of this is Axoris®, which immediately became the best-selling insecticide stick in 2007, the year it was launched. With our know-how, we are developing active substances from Syngenta in our own laboratories in order to create products ready for marketing.

Professional business wants to grow with fertilizers for fertigation
The COMPO Professional business offers a wide range of products to customers from the commercial horticulture, public green area and nursery segments. Important products include the slow-release fertilizer Floranid® for intensively used grass surfaces for sports such as golf courses and football pitches as well as the fully-coated slow-release fertilizer Basacote® for the nursery and ornamental plant sectors, which guarantees a consistent supply of nutrients to plants for up to twelve months. In the fertigation segment, rapidly growing especially in Southern Europe and Latin America, we are well positioned with the products Hakaphos® and Kamasol®.  High-quality foliar and micronutrient fertilizers, for example Fetrilon®, complete the assortment for horticulture and agriculture.

 Visit the Websites of K+S Nitrogen GmbH http://www.ks-nitrogen.com and of COMPO GmbH & Co.KG http://www.compo.com

Main products and application areas