Potash facts

Potash refers to a group of minerals and chemicals that contain potassium (chemical symbol K), a vital nutrient for plants and a key component in fertilizers.

It is produced primarily as potassium chloride (KCl), also known as muriate of potash (MOP). Because of variations in potassium content among deposits, potash is often measured and reported in terms of potassium oxide (K₂O) equivalence for consistency.

Learn more about potash

Uses

Potash is used primarily in fertilizers (approximately 95%) to support plant growth, increase crop yield and disease resistance, and enhance water preservation. Small quantities are used in manufacturing potassium-bearing chemicals such as:

• detergents
• ceramics
• pharmaceuticals
• water conditioners
• alternatives to de-icing salt

Potassium is an essential element of the human diet, required for the growth and maintenance of tissues, muscles, and organs and for the electrical activity of the heart. There is no substitute for potassium as a vital nutrient for plants, animals and humans.

Production

Potash in Canada is mined from underground deposits, either by conventional underground ore mining or by injecting water into the underground ore body and extracting the resulting brine (solution mining).

Canada’s 11 active mines are in Saskatchewan, and in 2023, they produced an estimated 21.9 million tonnes of potash (MOP), a decrease of approximately 2.7 million tonnes from the previous year.

Four companies account for all potash production in Canada: Nutrien Ltd., The Mosaic Company, Compass Minerals, and German fertilizer producer K+S Potash Canada.

BHP is advancing stages 1 and 2 of the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan. The first stage is expected to start production in late 2026 and is projected to yield about 4.2 million tonnes of potash annually. The second stage is anticipated to start production in 2029 and double the capacity of the mine to reach 8.5 million tonnes a year when fully operational.

Consult a map of producing Canadian mines

International context

Find out more about potash production on an international scale.

Global potash production was estimated at 67.5 million tonnes in 2023. Canada remained the world’s largest producer, contributing 32.4% of the global supply.

Canada, Russia and Belarus typically dominate global potash production, together accounting for 65.9% in 2023, similar to the previous year. However, Canada’s share decreased by 5.6 percentage points from 38.0% in 2022 because of domestic supply chain disruptions including transportation strikes and a record-setting forest fire season. Meanwhile, Belarusian potash production has stabilized following adjustments to geopolitical and sanctions-related impacts, and Russia’s market share has remained relatively steady.

In 2023, global potash reserves were estimated at more than 3.6 billion tonnes (potassium oxide equivalent). Canada holds the largest share, with known reserves of 1.1 billion tonnes. The following table lists countries with the largest potash reserves globally.

Trade

Canada leads the world in potash exports, shipping about 22.8 million tonnes in 2023, which accounts for over 41% of global exports. The leading destinations of Canadian exports of potash were the United States (46%), Brazil (19%) and China (8%).

In 2023, Canada, Belarus and Russia accounted for almost 76% of global potash exports.

Prices

Potash prices declined from 2013 to 2016 and remained relatively low until 2020. In 2021, prices rose sharply to US$807 per tonne because of strong global demand. The surge continued into 2022, driven by geopolitical tensions and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, peaking at US$1,202 per tonne in April. Prices then moderated in the latter part of the year but stayed above historical averages. By June 2023, prices had fallen to US$328 per tonne as global supply concerns subsided.