US Gulf Coast farming, fertilizer interests again facing tropical weather threat

HOUSTON (ICIS)–After a quiet few weeks for hurricane activity and with crop harvesting and movement of nutrients for autumn applications advancing, the US Gulf Coast and its agricultural and fertilizer interests are again facing a tropical weather threat.

Tropical Storm Francine has developed in the Gulf of Mexico with the system moving rapidly at 60 miles/h with the edge closing in near Brownsville, Texas, along the US-Mexico border late on Monday.

It is now being forecasted to bring heavy rain which could result in flooding and there is the possibility of storm surge. There are expectations that tropical storm force winds may extend up to 160 miles from the center.

As Francine begins the trek northward, US farmers and fertilizer industry participants are watching the developments as the conditions will certainly deliver impacts to growers, with wind and rainfall possibly resulting in crop damage and delayed post-harvest fertilizing.

Parts of south Texas are already beginning to experience these conditions with the rest of the Texas coast in the path as well, but the forecast has it eventually turning towards Louisiana.

Given the duration until it strikes, it is likely the storm will intensify and gain enough in the coming days to become a moderate hurricane with impacts stretching far from the initial site of landfall.

This will halt field work as well as stop harvesting progress across many states and in the aftermath will leave acreage soaked across many areas.

For the fertilizer segment, there is awareness of the threat as the potential path takes it near the key location of New Orleans and across the locations of production facilities within the state, including those of CF Industries.

The producer did not respond to an enquiry on its upcoming storm preparation, but no activity so far has been heard from any manufacturers in the region.

As an industry source said “nobody is talking about this yet”, but that likely changes in the next 48 hours especially if the tropical system ends up displaying potential to be larger than currently anticipated.