Overview
- TF1 reports nitrogen fertilizer rising from about €450 per tonne last year to roughly €700 now, with the Strait of Hormuz disruption driving further increases.
- France uses around 1.9 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers annually, importing just under half and producing about one third, which heightens vulnerability to market swings.
- Roughly two thirds of nitrogen use goes to animal feed, making livestock systems and feed crops like maize central to fertilizer demand.
- INRAE experts note that prices track energy because the Haber–Bosch process depends on gas, and production has shifted toward gas‑rich regions such as Russia and the Middle East.
- Responses include a planned green‑ammonia plant in the Somme targeting about 500,000 tonnes by 2030 and trials to recycle urine and green waste, though near‑term impact remains limited.