Addressing supply chain challenges

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Addressing supply chain challenges

David Elser, vice president of strategic supply chain operations, says Nutrien Ag Solutions has worked with key suppliers to continue to deliver the right products to farmers during the pandemic.

He tells Brownfield they are also working on an integrated planning forecast process.

“We see large producers wanting to sit down with us and start to think more outwardly,” he says. “When we look more outwardly and build those plans more outwardly then we’re able to take those plans and work the back-end supply chain more efficiently.”

Elser says supply chain-related challenges will likely remain in 2022.

“The good news going into this next season is we’re more well prepared to the fact that it’s not going to be easy on a couple of active ingredients like glufosinate and glyphosate,” he says. “We’re working hard on the back-end diversification to get supplies we believe we need.”

He says Nutrien Ag Solutions is working closely with growers to plan for alternative solutions on the farm.

“Meaning even what seed varieties we’re purchasing for soybeans, what corn hybrids, how we’re integrating weed management a different way. It’s a combination of solving for it on farm with a farmer looking for alternatives but also on the back-end playing out this diversification strategy,” he says. “Nutrien Ag Solutions is a global company and for farmers here in central Illinois or around the U.S., that global footprint gives us a seat at the table with players around the world to help source products. If we can continue to work with customers to plan and forecast, I believe we can solve the supply chain challenge going into 2022.”

Brownfield interviewed Elser during a tour at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Innovation Farm in Champaign, Illinois.

Audio: David Elser

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