AUSTRALIA 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year (July/June).
BANGLADESH 
Production and consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
BULGARIA 
Due to confidentiality of production data, since 2008 production figures could be overestimated.
CANADA 
Production and export data refer to fertilizer year (July/June).
CHINA 
Please note that 2010 Nitrogen production data is not currently available. This gap affects the geographical aggregates that include China (e.g. World, Asia, etc.).
COLOMBIA 
Data refer to the 68.8% of the country (22 departments over 32).
CYPRUS 
Data refer to agricultural activities only in the Government controlled area of the country due to the Turkish invasion of 1974.
CZECH REPUBLIC 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year and exclude self-employment farmers. Due to confidentiality of production data, since 2007 production figures could be overestimated (N)/underestimated (P₂O₅).
ETHIOPIA 
Since 2004 consumption data refer to fertilizer year. Since 2007 import figures include left over stocks from the previous years.
FRANCE 
Data refer to fertilizer year until 2008.
Please note that since 2008 production data are not derived from the same surveys of the previous years but from a new Annual Survey on Production; for this reason there might be discrepancies among the figures. Due to confidentiality of some data production could be underestimated.
GEORGIA 
Territories not controlled by the Georgian Government are not covered.
GERMANY 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
INDIA 
Data refer to fertilizer year (April/March). Export 2007-2010 refer to calendar year.
IRELAND 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
JAPAN 
Data refer to fertilizer year (July/June). Industrial use is included. Non-fertilizer use data from 2006 are estimated and it could affect consumption data.
KYRGYZSTAN 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
LATVIA  
Actual consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
MALDIVES 
Import data 2007-2010 refer only to what is available in the Maldives Customs Service.
MALI  
Production data refer to fertilizer year.
MEXICO  
After 2007 the country changed the source for collecting data. It may cause inconsistencies in the time series.
MYANMAR 
Production data refer to fertilizer year.
NEPAL 
Imports by informal and unorganized sectors are not included. Data refer to fertilizer year.
NETHERLANDS 
Actual consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
NEW ZEALAND 
Due to confidentiality of production data, since 2007 production figures could be overestimated (N)/underestimated (P₂O₅).
POLAND  
Actual consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
Trade data include Belarus. Since 2010 data on mutual trade with Kazakhstan are not included.
SERBIA 
Not including Kosovo.
Due to confidentiality of a part of production data, since 2010 production figures could be underestimated.
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO 
Data refer only to Serbia. Kosovo is not included.
SEYCHELLES 
Data do not refer to the whole country: only the Seychelles Agricultural Agency Agricultural requisite stores are taken into account.
SLOVAKIA 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
SWEDEN  
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
TANZANIA 
Actual consumption data refer to fertilizer year.
THAILAND 
Due to not availability of production data, since 2007 production figures for Nitrogen could be overestimated.
UKRAINE  
Due to partial confidentiality of production data, since 2007 production figures for Phosphate (P₂O₅) could be underestimated.
UNITED KINGDOM 
Consumption data refer to fertilizer year (July/June). Data include Northern Ireland.
USA 
Pease note that with reference to the Nitrogen totals, there might be double counting of Ammonia.

Fertilizer data in FAOSTAT

Concepts and definitions

Used for crop production

The 'Used for crop production' concept refers to the total quantity of fertilizers applied to the soil to increase crop yields. Used for crop production is here referred to as 'Actual Consumption' and is defined as actual deliveries to agriculture by the manufacturers or actual quantity consumed by a country for agriculture production.

Fertilizer Resource Utilization Account (FRUA)

The Fertilizer Resource Utilization Account format provides a summary of: Production, Imports, Exports, Non-Fertilizer use and Consumption for the three plant nutrients nitrogenous (N), phosphate (P₂0₅) and potash. (K₂0).

The equation used in the accounting format is seen below:

Production (P) + Imports (M) - Exports (X) - Non-Fertilizer use (NF)= Consumption (C)
P + M – X – NF = C

When data is not known for either fertilizer production or consumption, then the other items are used to derive the residual data. When this occurs, the data is labelled as apparent (e.g. apparent production). When the import or export data are not available, then mirror trade flows are used to estimate the data (see Trade flow matrix section).

The summary N, P₂0₅, and K₂0 totals for the items in the Fertilizer Resource Utilization Account are based on the following scenarios:

1. Production P = (– M) + X + NF + C
   Production = -(Imports) + Exports + Non-fertilizer use + Consumption
   
   When the data of a country are all available then P = the country actual production; M = actual imports, X = actual exports, C =actual consumption and NF = actual Non-fertilizer use.
   
2. Production with mirror imports P = (- mM) + X + NF + C
   Production = - (Mirror imports) + Exports + Non-fertilizer use + Consumption
   
   The concept of mirror imports is applied as proxy for a country actual imports figures, for example, when all the characteristics of the variables satisfying the equation are official data (as is formulated in equation a) but the reported information on a given year for imports is not in harmony with current trend. In such a case, all countries exporting such a commodity to that country will be recorded, reviewed and analysed. The result is referred to as mirror imports (mM).
   
3. Production with mirror exports P = (- M) + mX + NF + C
   Production = - (Imports) + Mirror exports (mX) + Non-fertilizer use + Consumption
   
   The concept of mirror exports is applied as a proxy for a country actual exports figures, for example, when all the characteristics of the variables satisfying the equation are official data (as is formulated in equation a) but the reported information on a given year for exports is not in harmony with current trend. In such a case, all countries importing such a commodity from that country will be recorded, reviewed and analysed. The results of such analysis are referred to as mirror exports (mX).
   
4. Apparent Consumption AC = P + M – NF - X)
   Apparent consumption = Production + Imports - Non-fertilizer use - Exports
   
   Apparent consumption figures are developed based on the underlying assumption that supply equals consumption. However, actual apparent consumption may be underestimated due to the following:
   
   • Non-fertilizer use assumed to be zero in the absence of data;
   • Stocks of fertilizer assumed to be zero or stable;
   • Country imports or exports of fertilizer data not available and assumed to be zero.
   
   Due to diverse country practices on the collection, compilation and reporting of fertilizer data, the application of the apparent consumption equation in the FRUA may occasionally produce a negative balance. In such cases it is assumed that country consumption depended on available fertilizer stocks. If country consumption results into a negative balance the negative balance is set to zero“0” with a flag (Z) indicating the adjustment. It is normal practice for countries not to disclose data on stocks, so they are assumed to be stable. For example, a non producing country imports for a calendar year may be of a low magnitude but at the same time reporting high consumption. In such a scenario, it is assumed that country consumption is depended on stock of some mineral fertilizers that have not been used previously.
   
5. Apparent Production AP = X + C - NF - M
   Apparent production = Exports + Used for crop production (actual consumption) - Non-fertilizer use - Imports
   
   When consumption data is available for a country, but actual production is not available or is not considered reliable, the apparent production data is derived. Apparent consumption figures are developed based on the underlying assumption that actual consumption and movement in trade equals the availability of domestic production. Reasons for distortion in the actual apparent production calculated may be due to the following:
   
   • Non-fertilizer use assumed to be zero (in the absence of data).
   • Stock assumed to be zero or stable.
   • Production data for the years under review not available.