Alkagesta assesses fertiliser suppliers’ operating records, production capabilities and financial standing before committing significant volumes, according to an account of its trading controls published by Alkagesta Newsroom on 22 September 2026. Fertilizer Desk Lead Vusal Muradov described a process combining counterparty assessment, repeated cargo checks and detailed contractual terms rather than relying on any single safeguard.
For unfamiliar origins, the desk seeks to establish local relationships where possible instead of depending entirely on documents or references, the company said. It regards that work as particularly important when it has no previous dealings with a producer. Alkagesta Newsroom linked the need for such checks to diversification, reporting that EU policymakers suspended customs duties on key nitrogen fertilisers for one year in May 2026 to broaden imports and reduce dependence on traditional suppliers.
Once a shipment is under way, independent inspectors, laboratory testing and sampling at relevant stages are used to establish whether the cargo meets its agreed specifications, Muradov said. Verification is not confined to loading. The publication cited inspection company SGS’s participation in the IFA working group on harmonising fertiliser sampling and analytical methods as part of the wider framework supporting industry testing practices.
To illustrate the potential gap between declared and actual product characteristics, Alkagesta Newsroom cited a 2026 EU market surveillance campaign covering 21 fertiliser products in six member states. It reported that two-thirds either lacked required disclosures or incorrectly stated their nitrification or urease inhibitor content. Muradov said even modest departures from specification could have substantial commercial and operational consequences on a large cargo, with pressure to accept lower-quality material increasing when supply tightens.
The company also stressed the need to translate sourcing and inspection requirements into explicit contracts. These should cover price, volume, specifications, delivery, payment, inspection and loading and discharge conditions so counterparties understand how risks are allocated. The publication pointed to the IFA Trade Contract Template, based on Incoterms 2010, as a shared foundation for those terms. Muradov’s account placed advance contingency planning alongside dependable suppliers and independent inspections as the principal safeguards against problems during a trade.