a United Nations report expects the world's population to surpass 9 billion people by 2050 (we are around 7.2 billion today), potash is expected to boom as income in emerging economies continues to improve.
Potash prices, however, are no so hot these days. The fertilizer ingredient has been trading at roughly $300 per tonne.
BHP recently committed to spending an additional $2.6 billion on Jansen over the next few years, just to gain access to the deposit, but it hasn’t made a decision on when to start building the mine. The reason, say experts, is that potash producers need prices as close as $500 per tonne as possible, so they can cover construction costs.
