Sask. potash producers dig deep to set new records in 2021

Saskatchewan’s potash industry had a record-setting 2021.

The provincial government revealed Tuesday that potash production in Saskatchewan last year reached 14.2 million tonnes of K2O while sales totalled $7.6 billion. Both were all-time highs.

“Saskatchewan continues to lead the world in the production of potash, which emits 50 per cent fewer emissions and is more sustainably produced here than in any jurisdiction in the world,” Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre said in a media release.

“Over the past 15 years, the Saskatchewan potash sector has committed more than $30 billion of investment in mine expansions and new projects. It directly employs some 6,000 people and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands more.”

Saskatchewan produces around 30 per cent of the world’s potash and that could be increasing. Last week, for example, Nutrien announced it was ramping up its potash production due to the war in Ukraine.

In August, BHP announced it was investing $12 billion to complete the Jansen potash mine; it’s the single-largest economic investment in Saskatchewan’s history.

One of the goals of the provincial government’s Growth Plan is to increase the annual value of potash sales to $9 billion.