Resource Adjustment in the Fertilizer Industry: With Emphasis on Michigan

As one of a series of reports from a comprehensive study of the U. S. fertilizer industry, this publication examines the supply of fertilizer in Michigan. Areas covered include: (1) the organization of the industry that minimizes the cost of producing, distributing, and applying fertilizer in the short and long run; (2) the least-cost transition to the long-run organization; (3) the impact of changes in the nutrient ratio; (4) the cost associated with use of suboptimal products; (5) the impact of abatement activities of coal-burning electric power generating plants on the industry; and (6) the economic relationship between wet and furnace phosphoric acid. Variables included (1) products--over 30, with approximately 200 formulations; (2) functions, including production, storage, handling, transportation, processing, sales, and application; (3) location, including the Gulf Coast, Florida, Saskatchewan, the Midwest, and Central Michigan, plus local facilities throughout Michigan; (4) size; (5) technical processes; and (6) nine transportation modes