Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizers Market Overview, 2031

Key Insights

• Colombia is one of the most fertilizer dependent nations in Latin America. The country imports between 70% and 80% of the fertilizers it uses, with domestic production covering less than 10% of demand. In 2025 alone, imports reached 2.3 million tonnes, against annual consumption of 2.4 to 2.5 million tonnes.
• The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a severe price shock, even though Colombia does not import significant volumes directly from the Gulf. Approximately one‑third of global fertilizer trade about 16 million tonnes annually transits the Strait, and Gulf nations account for 49% of global urea exports. As a result, urea prices have surged 60% year‑on‑year, from approximately $400/tonne in April 2025 to $640/tonne in April 2026.
• The vulnerability is compounded by China’s decision in March 2026 to suspend fertilizer exports. China supplied 18.3% of Colombia’s fertilizer imports in 2025, making the halt a near‑simultaneous disruption of two major supply corridors. Colombia’s primary suppliers are Russia, China, and Trinidad and Tobago, with Russia remaining the largest single source followed by China.
• In April 2026, President Gustavo Petro announced a direct presidential order allocating one trillion Colombian pesos for fertilizer subsidies, financed from Ecopetrol’s profits. Additionally, a COP 32 billion emergency fund was activated for short‑cycle crops, and a COP 110 billion expansion was prepared.

Market Outlook

• According to the research report, "Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market Outlook, 2031," published by Bonafide Research, the Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market is expected to reach a market size of more than USD 54.71 Million by 2031.
• Fertilizer prices have experienced a dramatic escalation in the first months of 2026. Between April 2024 and April 2026, the overall fertilizer price index rose 44%, from $543 to $985 per tonne. Urea prices increased 60% year‑on‑year by late April, from approximately $400/tonne to $640/tonne.
• Colombia currently holds fertilizer inventories sufficient for two to three months. According to the president of the Colombian Agricultural Society, Jorge Bedoya, this buffer provides temporary relief but is not a permanent solution. Once inventories are exhausted, higher fertilizer costs will pass through to food prices.
• The cost‑income squeeze for farmers is already visible in key sectors. Coffee production dropped 28%, and the internal price per carga fell 26.8% to approximately 2.23 million pesos in April 2026, even as fertilizer costs increased. Agricultural GDP fell 1.4% in Q1 2026, contrasting sharply with the 3.1% growth observed during all of 2025. The number of people employed in the agricultural sector dropped by more than 363,000 between February 2025 and February 2026.

Policies

• A direct presidential order established a COP 1 trillion which is approximately US$250 million fertilizer subsidy, the largest such program in Colombia’s history. The order directs Ecopetrol to purchase fertilizers by contract and deduct the cost from the profits the company delivers to the national government.
• The Ministry of Agriculture activated an emergency agricultural inputs fund totaling COP 32 billion to subsidize fertilizers for short‑cycle crops. An additional COP 110 billion expansion is being prepared. The program targets 23 key production chains representing a large share of domestic consumption, including potatoes, rice, corn, meat, milk, coffee, and cassava.
• Ecopetrol has been directed to use its profits to subsidize fertilizer purchases, with the president clarifying that the amount would be close to one trillion pesos rather than the previously mentioned 90 billion pesos. This policy is framed as part of a broader strategy to prioritize the domestic agricultural sector and reduce food imports.
• The government’s measures come amid rising tensions with the central bank. The Banco de la República raised rates twice by 100 basis points each to 11.25%, citing core inflation at 6.1%. President Petro has called the rate hikes “suicidal” and removed his finance minister from the bank’s board, seeking instead to contain inflation through increased food production and subsidized inputs.

Industry News

• Monómeros, the Venezuelan‑owned fertilizer plant in Barranquilla, operates under persistent uncertainty due to US sanctions. The plant supplies nearly a third of Colombia’s domestic production. Analysts warn that if its supply is disrupted simultaneously with the current import price shock, “the squeeze becomes existential for small farmers”.
• Coffee farmers are facing a severe cost‑income squeeze. Coffee production fell 28% in early 2026, and the domestic price per carga dropped 26.8% to approximately 2.23 million pesos, even as fertilizer prices rose. Because there is a six‑to‑nine‑month lag between fertilizer application and harvest, the most severe impact may not be felt until late 2026.

Segment Analysis

Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market By Product Type • Urea is the dominant nitrogen fertilizer in Colombia, driven by coffee, oil palm, rice, and maize cultivation. Annual consumption is estimated at 0.9-1.5 million tons, while domestic production is limited to 0.3-0.6 million tons, supported by 1-3 integrated ammonia–urea plants. Imports account for 0.6-1.0 million tons annually, mainly through Cartagena and Buenaventura ports.
• Ammonium nitrate in Colombia is tightly regulated and primarily used in industrial mining and controlled chemical applications rather than agriculture. Annual production is estimated at 0.1-0.3 million tons, supported by 1-2 industrial chemical facilities. Imports range between 50,000-150,000 tons annually, while exports remain minimal at 10,000-40,000 tons.
• Calcium Ammonium Nitrate is a niche fertilizer in Colombia, mainly used in horticulture, vegetables, potatoes, and small scale fruit farming in Andean regions. Annual production is estimated at 0.1-0.25 million tons, supported by 1-2 blending and formulation facilities. Imports account for 0.15-0.35 million tons annually, while exports are negligible.

Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market By Form • Solid fertilizers, primarily urea, ammonium sulfate, and CAN, are the most widely distributed form in Colombia. The country operates approximately 30-40 regional storage facilities and 5-7 bulk handling terminals, mainly near Cartagena, Buenaventura, and Barranquilla ports. Annual transportation volume is around 1.2-1.8 million tons, moved predominantly by trucks and rail for internal bulk movement. Distribution centers number roughly 20-30, and packaging units produce 200,000-350,000 tons per year of bagged fertilizer. Annual throughput of fertilizer terminals ranges 400,000-700,000 tons, supporting both domestic agriculture and re-export to neighboring regions.
• Liquid nitrogen fertilizers, including UAN solutions and specialty blends, are mainly used in coffee, oil palm, and high value horticulture sectors. Colombia maintains around 15-20 storage facilities and 3-4 dedicated liquid terminals, with total storage tank capacity between 50,000-120,000 m³. Annual product movement is approximately 0.5-0.9 million tons, transported via trucks and smaller tanker fleets.

Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market By Crop Type • Oilseeds and pulses in Colombia are led by soybean, beans, and some sunflower cultivation, concentrated in Orinoquía and Andean transition zones. Cultivated area is approximately 600,000-1,200,000 hectares, with harvested area of 550,000-1,150,000 hectares annually. Production volume ranges from 1.2-2.5 million tons, supported by around 120,000-180,000 farms, mostly small and medium holdings.
• Cereals and grains include rice, maize, sorghum, and wheat. Cultivated area is approximately 2.5-4.0 million hectares, with harvested area of 2.4-3.8 million hectares. Annual production volume reaches 8-13 million tons, supported by roughly 180,000-250,000 farms, with rice dominating irrigated systems.

Colombia Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market By Application
• Soil application dominates nitrogen fertilization in Colombia, primarily for cereals, oilseeds, and perennial crops. Annual fertilizer application volume is estimated at 2.0-3.5 million tons, covering a treated area of 6-10 million hectares. Most crops receive 1-3 soil-based application events per season, with nitrogen dosage rates ranging from 80-200 kg N/hectare depending on crop type.
• Foliar nitrogen application is primarily used in high-value horticultural crops, fruits, and greenhouse vegetables. Annual fertilizer volume applied via foliar sprays is approximately 150,000-300,000 tons, treating 350,000-650,000 hectares. Crops typically receive 3-8 foliar events per season, with nutrient dosages between 10-40 kg N/hectare per application.
• Fertigation is expanding in irrigated high-value crops such as bananas, vegetables, and coffee plantations. The irrigated area using fertigation systems is about 120,000-250,000 hectares, with 1,200-2,000 fertigation installations in operation nationwide. Annual nitrogen application through fertigation is around 200,000-400,000 tons, with dosage rates of 50-150 kg N/hectare per crop cycle.


Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base year: 2025
• Estimated year: 2026
• Forecast year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
•Nitrogenous Fertilizers Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By product Type
• Urea
• Ammonium Nitrate
• Ammonium Sulfate
• Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN)
• Others(UAN (Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions), Ammonia (Anhydrous Ammonia), Methylene Urea)

By Form
• Solid (Granular / Prilled)
• Liquid
• Gas (Anhydrous Ammonia)

By Crop Type
• Oilseeds and Pulses
• Cereals and Grains
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Others

By Application
• Soil
• Foliar
• Fertigation
• Others