Alkagesta says assessing suppliers before committing significant volumes, checking cargo quality throughout shipment and setting precise contract terms are central to its fertiliser trading controls. In a market insight published on 22 September 2026, the company described these measures as successive safeguards against failures between sourcing and delivery, rather than a single approval at the start of a transaction.
Vusal Muradov, Alkagesta’s fertiliser desk lead, said the assessment of a prospective supplier covers its reputation, delivery reliability and product quality. The desk examines production performance, actual manufacturing capability and financial standing before discussing substantial business. When sourcing from an unfamiliar origin, it seeks to establish local relationships where possible, rather than depending entirely on documents or references from others.
The company linked those checks to efforts to broaden European supply sources. According to Alkagesta Market Insights, EU policymakers suspended customs duties on key nitrogen fertilisers for one year in May 2026 to encourage diversification and reduce dependence on a limited group of established suppliers. For traders, the company said, that shift creates a need to assess producers with whom they have no previous trading history.
Once a trade proceeds, Alkagesta says independent inspectors, laboratory testing and sampling at relevant shipment stages are used to establish whether the cargo meets its contractual specification. The publication cited SGS’s participation in the IFA working group on harmonising fertiliser sampling and analytical methods as part of the industry framework supporting those checks. It also reported that a 2026 EU surveillance exercise covering 21 products in six member states found two-thirds had either omitted mandatory information or inaccurately declared their nitrification or urease inhibitor content.
Muradov said even modest quality discrepancies can carry substantial commercial and operational consequences on large cargoes, with pressures increasing when supplies tighten. Alkagesta also stressed the need for contracts to define price, volume, specification, delivery, payment, inspection and loading and discharge conditions. It pointed to the IFA Trade Contract Template, based on Incoterms 2010, as a shared foundation for such agreements, alongside advance contingency planning.
Read the original announcement on Alkagesta.