Whitby Mine Owner Agrees Polyhalite Fertiliser Partnership with Chinese Market Leaders

Anglo American has signed Memorandums of Understanding with two major Chinese fertiliser companies, to further develop the market for polyhalite in China.

Sinochem Fertilizer, a member of Syngenta Group, is the largest distributor of agricultural inputs in China, with sales covering 95% of China’s arable land. The business encompasses the entire fertiliser industry supply chain spanning R&D, production, distribution and agrochemical services. BeiFeng AMP is the third largest fertiliser distributor in China, focused on the three northeastern provinces known as the country’s ‘grain barn’.

The agreements will see both companies collaborate with Anglo American on the promotion and development of low carbon, soil friendly fertiliser products and practices, and jointly drive the establishment of polyhalite product standards in China. This will include joint commercial-scale demonstrations and further research on major arable crops such as corn, soybean, potato, rice and high value crops such as apple, citrus and grapes, building upon the already extensive crop trials that Anglo American has completed in recent years, as well as the development of regional sales opportunities, marketing strategies and supply arrangements.

Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business, said:

“China is a key customer for us in our ambition to be a leader in sustainable crop nutrition. Given our Crop Nutrients business forms part of Anglo American’s exceptional growth trajectory over the next decade, we are continuing to foster strategic partnerships across the agricultural industry to prepare the market for the full range of commercial and environmental benefits that polyhalite can offer farmers and the entire food value chain.

“With this in mind, we are focused on working closely with our strategic partners to encourage more sustainable farming practices through the uptake and adoption of our flagship multi-nutrient and low carbon POLY4 product, derived from the naturally-occurring mineral polyhalite which we will supply from our Woodsmith mine in the northeast of England.”

Tielin Wang, Vice President of Syngenta China and General Manager of Sinochem Fertilizer, said:

“As a leading fertilizer distributor in China, Sinochem Fertilizer has significant advantages in production, R&D and marketing. We are delighted to collaborate with a company like Anglo American, which shares our vision and strategic goals. The signing of this MoU marks an initial achievement in our mutually beneficial partnership. We are eager to move beyond the agreement on paper to practical implementation, continuously advancing our collaborative projects. By leveraging our combined strengths, we’re working together towards our goal to create substantial value for Chinese farmers."

Anglo American will contribute to a more sustainable way of feeding a growing global population from ever decreasing available farmland – by developing innovative polyhalite-based crop nutrition products from the Woodsmith mine near Whitby.

Polyhalite helps provide a more balanced and nutritious diet throughout a plant’s life cycle, resulting in stronger, healthier and more productive crops, while supporting healthy soils and helping to reduce negative environmental impacts.

Globally, Anglo American’s market development programme now totals more than 2,000 commercial-scale demonstrations in 40 countries across more than 80 different crops. The team has engaged with c.350 distributors, retailers, co-operatives, blenders and manufacturers, and engaged extensively with farmers, universities, NGOs, global research institutions, media, and membership associations to build out a greater understanding of the wide-ranging environmental and economic benefits of polyhalite as a natural mineral fertiliser.