Yara and Akzo Nobel move towards complete nutrients portfolio

On 20th May, 2005, Yara International and Akzo Nobel signed a global marketing cooperation agreement, another step toward providing customers with a complete plant nutrient portfolio.

Specialty fertilizers and partnerships in complementary product areas are central to Yara’s strategy. The agreement with Akzo Nobel, which covered chelated micronutrients, joined similar agreements with SQM (potassium nitrate for fertigation), and Phosyn (foliar micronutrients).

By promoting crop-specific plant nutrition programs, Yara aimed to shift volumes into higher-paying cash crop segments around the world. Improving productivity is important, but increasing the quality and stability of yield throughout the value chain is also central. One of the most pronounced trends in the fertilizer market is the increased focus on specialty fertilizers. Yara was at the time the number one global brand within the cash crop segment (fruit, flowers and vegetables).

The agreement between Yara and Akzo Nobel strengthened the market position of both companies and Yara's global distribution set-up enabled further growth of chelated micronutrients. With the exception of Italy, Spain, Israel and USA, Yara and SQM became the exclusive distributors worldwide for Akzo Nobel within the agricultural application segment.
 
The Yara/Akzo Nobel accord completed Yara’s portfolio of fertigation, foliar and dry application products. This ensures that the company could offer farmers around the world the plant nutrition solutions they needed to produce high quality crops. For Akzo Nobel, the agreement was a stepping stone for future growth in its micronutrients business, bringing together independent partners with specific areas of expertise.