In accordance with Article 47 of the Law on Protection of Competition, the Commission for Protection of Competition has conducted a sector inquiry into competitive conditions on the wholesale market for synthetic (mineral) fertilizers.

The Commission has noted the need to analyze the competitive conditions on the fertilizers market given the increase in the producer price of fertilizers in the first three quarters of 2019, as well as the bankruptcy of one of the largest manufacturers of synthetic fertilizers in the Republic of Serbia – company “HIP Azotara” from Pančevo.

The research is carried out to provide a comprehensive overview of the structure and dynamics of this market and competitive conditions prevailing therein, as well as to identify potential market weaknesses.

In this inquiry, the Commission started off from the wholesale market for synthetic (mineral) fertilizers as a whole, within which it has analyzed the market for nitrogen fertilizers and the market for compound fertilizers.

For the purposes of this analysis, the Commission has collected and processed the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Finance – Customs Administration, as well as other publicly available data and information relating to the production, import, export, and wholesale of synthetic fertilizers. The sector inquiry also looked into eight undertakings, manufacturers, and importers whose combined share accounted for about 90% of the total estimated fertilizers market in 2019.

The Commission wishes to express its gratitude to all undertakings for providing the requested information throughout the drafting process, and invites all interested parties and other experts to present their respective commentaries to the report by sending their observations to the email address office.kzk@kzk.gov.rs, Subject line: Commentary to the sector inquiry into fertilizers market, no later than January 15, 2021.