Gu Zongqin, Chairman of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association

Gu Zongqin, Chairman of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association In his speech, he expressed his appreciation for this summit. He said that the convening of this summit is of great significance for promoting and popularizing the application of nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizers in agriculture, exploring product markets from multiple angles and in a comprehensive manner, enhancing Jiaocheng County’s position and image in the fertilizer industry and agricultural sector, and building a distinctive county-level economy characterized by Chinese-style modernization in Jiaocheng County. Gu Zongqin stated that over the years, the Jiaocheng region has done extensive work in the production and promotion of calcium-magnesium nitrate fertilizers, and today it has become China’s largest production base for nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizers—a nationally renowned leader that stands out uniquely and has made significant contributions to China’s fertilizer industry. This achievement is inseparable from the guidance and strong support provided by the local government.

Gu Zongqin believes that, under current conditions, the most effective measure for increasing grain production and ensuring food self-sufficiency remains the reliance on chemical fertilizers—both domestically and internationally. Analyzing China’s actual situation regarding fertilizer production and use, we can be confident that our fertilizer production capacity is sufficient to meet supply needs. However, improving fertilizer utilization efficiency remains the most pressing task at hand, and there is still a significant gap compared to developed countries abroad—especially in the case of nitrogen fertilizers. Nitro-calcium-magnesium fertilizer contains both nitrogen and readily available calcium and magnesium, making it a nitrogen-based multi-nutrient compound fertilizer. We must vigorously promote the use of nitro-calcium-magnesium fertilizer, carrying out extensive public awareness campaigns, conducting demonstration trials, and providing scientific guidance to raise public understanding and recognition of this fertilizer.

Niu Tianliang, Executive Vice Chairman of the Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association

At the meeting, Niu Tianliang, Executive Vice Chairman of the Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association An analysis of the current situation and development prospects of China’s nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizer industry reveals that ammonium nitrate calcium has seen relatively rapid growth in recent years. Its production capacity has increased from 1.1 million tons in 2011 to 2.3 million tons in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 11%. Currently, there are 32 enterprises producing ammonium nitrate calcium, of which 22 are located in Jiaocheng County. Jiaocheng County is also the primary production base for magnesium nitrate, with a current annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 tons. As China’s economy continues to develop and as the country places greater emphasis on high-quality agricultural development, the market demand for magnesium fertilizers is expected to grow steadily.

He also pointed out the current problems facing enterprises and suggested that the Jiaocheng County Party Committee, the county government, and the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association should jointly develop an industrial development plan and provide guiding technical recommendations for the production processes of nitrocalcium-magnesium fertilizers and compound fertilizers in the Jiaocheng region. While ensuring the inherent safety of production facilities and equipment and compliance with emission standards for environmental protection facilities, we should continuously raise the technological sophistication of production processes and set higher entry barriers for production scale. Large enterprises should strive to excel and grow stronger, while small enterprises should join forces through alliances and integrations to become more refined and larger in scale. We should also strengthen training and education for the workforce and promote modern management practices within enterprises.

Wang Laiping, Supervisor (Inspector) of the Shanxi Province Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Development Association

Wang Laiping, Supervisor (Inspector) of the Shanxi Province Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Development Association He also gave high praise to this summit, viewing it as a strategic move to implement high-quality development in the new era, an active step taken by the provincial party committee and provincial government to build key industrial chains and specialized towns with distinctive features, and a practical action by Jiaocheng County to highlight its county-level characteristics, leverage its industrial strengths, and accelerate its transformation and development. Wang Laiping said that the association is eager to take this summit as an opportunity, regard promoting Jiaocheng’s specialty town for nitro-based fertilizers as its own responsibility, serve the development of the nitro-based fertilizer industry, and make its contribution to expanding exports of nitro-based fertilizers.

Vice Mayor Yan Lin

Vice Mayor Yan Lin On behalf of the Lüliang Municipal Government, I would like to extend warm congratulations on the convening of this summit. In his speech, he pointed out that Jiaocheng’s nitro-based compound fertilizer industry holds great promise and vast potential. In line with the provincial Party committee and provincial government’s strategic plan to cultivate and develop ten key industrial chains, as well as the municipal Party committee and municipal government’s “1+7+N” approach for building specialized towns with distinctive features, the Jiaocheng County Party Committee and County Government have seized the opportunity and are riding the momentum. Taking “one foundation, two towns, three chains, and multiple points” as their guiding principles, they are leveraging the county’s abundant calcium carbonate resources and its advantage as a new fertilizer production base in Shaoji to make every effort to build Jiaocheng into a specialized town for nitro-based compound fertilizers. Meanwhile, Jiaocheng County has signed a “Memorandum of Cooperation” with the Jinyang Customs, launching deepened cooperation in areas such as foreign trade and port opening, thus establishing a “green channel” for Jiaocheng’s fertilizer export trade. Yan Lin stated that, in the next step, the municipal government will fully support Jiaocheng County in its efforts to build itself into a specialized town for nitro-based compound fertilizers.

Liu Xuan, Secretary of the Jiaocheng County Party Committee

Liu Xuan, Secretary of the Jiaocheng County Party Committee A brief introduction was given to Jiaocheng County’s current situation and its outlook for future development. According to him, the county currently has 32 fertilizer production enterprises, with an output value of nearly 5 billion yuan and a production capacity reaching 3 million tons. There are 114 brands of new-type fertilizers and 102 related technology patents. Among these, calcium fertilizer products account for over 80% of the domestic market share and more than 50% of the international market share. The county has been recognized by the Ministry of Commerce as a national-level base for the transformation and upgrading of foreign trade in the new-type fertilizer sector, and has been designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology as Shanxi Province’s first innovative county, earning it the reputation of “China’s Calcium Capital.” Liu Xuan believes that the fertilizer industry holds great potential and is playing an increasingly important role in rural revitalization and the high-quality development of agriculture. It is imperative—and perfectly timed—to promote the transformation and upgrading of the nitro-fertilizer industry, making it bigger and stronger. He expressed hope that this summit would provide an opportunity for exchanging ideas and sparking creative discussions, enabling participants to jointly plan for the future development of the nitro-fertilizer industry and offer valuable insights and guidance for the growth of Jiaocheng’s nitro-fertilizer sector.

Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee and County Mayor Song Zhijiang

Paddle vigorously and set sail for “specialized towns”; forge ahead with determination in “nitrogen-based fertilizers.” At the meeting, Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee and County Mayor Song Zhijiang He delivered a promotional speech titled “Introduction to Jiaocheng County, Shanxi’s Efforts in Building a Specialized Town Focused on Nitrogen-Based Compound Fertilizers.” He highlighted Jiaocheng County’s advantages in nitrogen-based compound fertilizers from the perspectives of platforms, industrial chains, technology, talent, and logistics.

First is the platform advantage. The Jiaocheng Economic Development Zone is both an industrial transformation park within Shanxi Province’s Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zone for Transformation and a provincial pilot park for integrated energy reform services. Currently, the zone has 188 enterprises, including 12 high-tech enterprises specializing in new fertilizers. Driven by the development zone’s continuous innovation and reform efforts, as well as the concentration of emerging high-tech fertilizer enterprises throughout the county, Jiaocheng’s fertilizer industry now enjoys both a competitive atmosphere of learning from and surpassing others and strong momentum for collaborative development, thus creating a virtuous cycle of steady growth.

Second, there’s the advantage of a well-developed industrial chain. The area surrounding Jiaocheng has a total coking coal capacity of 18 million tons. Currently, a complete industrial chain has been established, featuring “coke oven gas—synthetic ammonia—nitrogen-based compound fertilizer.” This chain annually produces 650,000 tons of synthetic ammonia, 1.35 million tons of nitric acid, and 3 million tons of nitrogen-based fertilizers, making it the largest nitrogen-based compound fertilizer production base in the country.

Third, we have technological advantages. After years of development, Jiaocheng’s new fertilizer industry has accumulated extensive experience in production technologies. Among them, Jinlan Chemical is the world’s first company capable of producing granular magnesium nitrate; Dongjin Fertilizer utilizes a rotary fluidized bed to produce ammonium nitrate-calcium, and its comprehensive energy consumption for nitric acid production via the medium-pressure process ranks among the most advanced in China. Currently, the county boasts 114 new fertilizer brands, 102 technology patents, and has participated in drafting 11 industry standards.

Fourth is our talent advantage. In recent years, the Jiaocheng County Party Committee and County Government have attached great importance to talent development and have strongly supported collaboration between universities and enterprises to attract advanced technologies and expertise, thereby cultivating high-end industry professionals. As of now, fertilizer production enterprises throughout the county have hired a total of 10 nationally recognized experts and doctoral supervisors, 526 senior management and technical personnel, and 2,410 other highly skilled workers. A talent system centered on entrepreneurs from three generations—senior, middle-aged, and young—as well as high-end technical professionals has been steadily established.

Fifth, we have logistical advantages. Within Jiaocheng County, major transportation arteries such as the Tai-Zhong-Yin Railway, the Qing-Yin Expressway, the Beijing-Kunming Expressway, and National Highway 307 crisscross the region, giving it a clear advantage in terms of transportation connectivity. Many large, locally-based logistics enterprises have already begun to transform and upgrade, significantly enhancing the intelligence and smartness of their logistics services.

Song Zhijiang stated that, with an eye toward the future development of the fertilizer industry, Jiaocheng has made thorough preparations and has fully sounded the “assembly call” for industrial transformation and development, while also delivering a “combination punch” to optimize the business environment. It is projected that within five years, the county’s nitro-fertilizer production capacity will exceed 5 million tons, and Jiaocheng’s specialized town for nitro-complex fertilizers will become the world’s largest and most influential flagship enterprise in green fertilizer production.

Gao Xiangzhao, Chief Expert at the National Agricultural Technology Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Wang Yongliang, Associate Researcher at Shanxi Agricultural University

At the summit forum that afternoon, Gao Xiangzhao, Chief Expert at the National Agricultural Technology Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Wang Yongliang, Associate Researcher at Shanxi Agricultural University; and Liu Xin, Deputy General Manager of CNOOC (Shanxi) Precious Metals Co., Ltd., delivered presentations titled “Ensuring Grain Security and Supply Amidst Opportunities for Nitrogen-Based Fertilizers,” “Nutrient Characteristics and Application Prospects of Nitrogen-Based Fertilizers,” and “The Positive Role of Platinum Group Metal Catalysts in the Green, Low-Carbon, and Circular Development of the Nitrogen-Based Fertilizer Industry,” respectively. These presentations received high praise from the attending guests. The forum was chaired by Li Tengfei, President of the Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association and General Manager of Shanxi Huaxin Fertilizer Co., Ltd.

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Source: Agricultural Input Herald

Authors: Hao Ruimin, Shen Yuting

Editor: Chen Qiong

Reviewed by: Wang Meihong

Executive Producer: Jiang ShanJun