The group OCP, a pillar of the Moroccan chemical industry, has unveiled NP 5-42, an unprecedented binary fertilizer combining 5% nitrogen and 42% phosphate (P₂O₅). This formula marks a strategic shift towards more precise plant nutrition that is less dependent on high input costs.
Unlike conventional fertilizers such as DAP (18% N), NP 5-42 uses ammonia as the sole source of nitrogen but in reduced quantities, allowing for approximately a 72% decrease in reliance on ammonia compared to traditional formulations. This approach is crucial in light of the surge in ammonia prices, which have risen from $393 per ton in June 2025 to $590 in October.
The product is positioned between triple super phosphate (TSP 46% P₂O₅) and more nitrogen-rich fertilizers like DAP, providing farmers with the flexibility to adjust phosphorus doses without excess nitrogen. With 42% phosphorus, NP 5-42 meets the critical needs of root crops, nitrogen-fixing legumes, cereal crops in the planting phase, and agricultural systems requiring deep rooting.
From an industrial standpoint, the simplified formulation facilitates production, ensures a consistent granule size, and allows compatibility with existing granulation systems. It can also be combined with other sources of nitrogen (urea, ammonium sulfate, or ammonium nitrate), thereby offering greater flexibility to compound fertilizer manufacturers.
Classified under the tariff code HS 310559, NP 5-42 is recognized as a specialized compound fertilizer, ensuring consistent regulatory treatment in the international market.
This innovation, developed in the laboratories of Benguérir and Jorf Lasfar, illustrates OCP’s strategy: to offer precise, input-efficient formulations tailored to the new dynamics of the global market while contributing to sustainable energy transition in the fertilizer sector.