Currently, China's agriculture has entered a period of high-quality development, making it imperative to optimize the structure of fertilizer products. Promoting the application of calcium fertilizers is essential to enhancing agricultural quality and efficiency. In Jiaocheng County, Shanxi Province—known as “China’s Calcium Capital”—new-generation fertilizer enterprises such as Shanxi Huaxin Fertilizer, Hongxing Chemical, Sanxi Chemical, and Jinlan Chemical, leveraging the county’s abundant coal and calcium carbonate resources, have expanded their industrial chains and optimized product structures through technological upgrades and innovation. They have also made strides in energy conservation, reduced consumption, enhanced R&D capabilities, and improved equipment levels, thereby achieving rapid industrial growth. Their nitrocalcium fertilizer products have earned a solid reputation both domestically and internationally, establishing the county as a key hub for the development of China’s nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizer industry. Recently, Li Tengfei, President of the Nitrocalcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Branch”) and General Manager of Shanxi Huaxin Fertilizer, accepted an interview and shared insights into the development of nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizers.

Agricultural Inputs Herald: What is the current development status of the fertilizer industry in Jiaocheng County?

Li Tengfei: Currently, enterprises in Jiaocheng County are continuously innovating around “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” products and production technologies, successfully achieving major breakthroughs in key technologies for nitro-based fertilizers and calcium-magnesium fertilizers. Among these achievements, Shanxi Huaxin Fertilizer Industry has independently developed a bio-polymer additive called “Poly-silicon-Based Glutamate Synthase.” Through modifications to equipment and processes, the company has successfully functionalized its entire range of nitro fertilizers and calcium-magnesium fertilizers, creating highly efficient “nourishment + protection” ecological fertilizer products. Additionally, Jiaocheng Sanxi Chemical has independently developed continuous crystallization technology for calcium nitrate, a clean and efficient neutralization reaction process for nitrates, and diaphragm filtration technology—all of which have significantly improved production efficiency, reduced pollutant emissions, and yielded remarkable economic and social benefits. There are countless chemical enterprises in Jiaocheng County that continue to drive innovation through both product and process improvements like these.

While focusing on product innovation, calcium fertilizer companies are also actively participating in both domestic and international market competition. At various chemical trade shows at home and abroad, they have engaged in business negotiations with buyers from numerous countries and have successively reached several preliminary cooperation agreements. As the president of the Nitro-Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Association and the head of Huaxin Fertilizer Industry, I can proudly say that chemical trade fairs around the world have become key platforms for promoting Jiaocheng’s chemical brand to the outside world. These fairs play a vital role in enhancing the influence and market competitiveness of Jiaocheng’s “Calcium Capital” brand and in boosting the high-quality, rapid development of Jiaocheng County’s regional economy.

Agricultural Inputs Herald: What work has the Nitro-Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Association undertaken since its establishment?

Li Tengfei: On September 11 last year, the founding conference of the Nitro-Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association—highly anticipated by the industry—was held in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.

Since its establishment, the sub-association has focused on four key areas of work. First, we have actively raised our voice and promoted the theme of transformation as the guiding principle. Following the sub-association’s founding, we have made good use of its platform to speak out boldly, vigorously promoting the Jiaocheng industrial model and offering Jiaocheng’s solutions for the high-quality development of calcium-magnesium fertilizers across the country. Second, we have attracted talent and embraced innovation as our approach. The establishment of the sub-association is tantamount to raising a banner within the industry, which helps attract talented and ambitious individuals and provides scientific support for the healthy development of calcium-magnesium fertilizers. The sub-association has also actively encouraged calcium-magnesium fertilizer companies to collaborate with universities and colleges nationwide, establishing university-enterprise alliances to bring in expertise and advanced technologies. Third, we aim to build a brand through equality and openness. Since its inception, the sub-association has been committed to fostering an open and inclusive environment among enterprises, actively promoting exchanges of talent and technology among them, and creating a more open and tolerant market for calcium-magnesium fertilizers. We have adopted multi-channel publicity and promotion strategies to help each enterprise better build its own brand. Fourth, we are dedicated to solving problems and ensuring smooth communication between all levels—this is our mission. Leveraging our organizational strengths, the sub-association unites all parties to jointly address the challenges encountered in product R&D, production, and marketing. The implementation of these measures has enabled the Nitro Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Sub-association to achieve remarkable results.

Agricultural Inputs Herald: What are the key priorities for the sub-association this year?

Li Tengfei: This year, affected by the pandemic, exports of nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizers—such as calcium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate, and magnesium nitrate—have been hampered, and domestic consumption has slowed down, dealing a significant blow to the entire industry. Faced with these challenges, the sub-association has actively coordinated efforts and leveraged the technical expertise of its specialists to help enterprises resume production and operations. From the current perspective, the overall situation is improving.

This year, the branch will take technology as its driving force and continue to target both domestic and international markets, guiding its members toward a new path of diversified development. At the same time, it will further promote the agricultural application of nitro-based fertilizers, breaking through bottlenecks in their wider adoption and enabling nitro-based products to play a pivotal role in the high-quality development of agriculture. Leveraging its platform advantages and resources, the branch will strengthen the self-discipline awareness of nitro calcium-magnesium fertilizer enterprises and refine their pricing systems. It will also vigorously encourage member companies to keep advancing, fostering new-era chemical enterprises that are resource-efficient and innovation-driven in their service offerings. Moreover, the branch will actively communicate with government departments and foster collaborative partnerships among enterprises to jointly explore and develop new markets.

This year, the sub-association will focus its efforts on the following three areas: First, organizing the development of industry or national standards for magnesium nitrate, as well as regulations for fertilizer registration management; second, addressing the challenges related to the storage and transportation of calcium nitrate and magnesium nitrate as hazardous chemicals; and third, under the leadership of the sub-association’s president and with the joint efforts of member companies, stabilizing the supply prices of production raw materials for member enterprises.

Agricultural Input News: How do you forecast the future calcium fertilizer market?

Li Tengfei: Currently, agriculture has a strong demand for nitro-based products, providing robust growth momentum. Nitro-based products have already become a mature market segment; the key issue now is how to increase their market share. Looking at market consumption trends over the past three consecutive years—2017, 2018, and 2019—we can see that annual growth has been around 10%, indicating that the product’s market share continues to expand. Moreover, calcium ammonium nitrate—a crucial nitrogen fertilizer—is widely used in crop production across Western Europe, the United States, Australia, and other regions. Globally, current production capacity exceeds 10 million tons, while China’s capacity for calcium ammonium nitrate stands at approximately 2 million tons. Given China’s drive toward high-quality agricultural development, there is tremendous room for growth in this sector. The next step should focus on promoting wider adoption and guiding farmers toward scientific consumption practices—this is the key to boosting the product’s market share.