Ammonium Sulphate (AS)
Ammonium sulphate is the primary sulphur carrier in the Kenyan fertilizer market and a meaningful nitrogen contributor. The line is missing from many catalogues but the demand profile is real — tea, sugar cane, coffee and the acid-soil maize zones all draw routinely on AS.
Specification
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | 21% (typical) |
| Sulphur (S) | 24% (typical) |
| Moisture | ≤ 0.5% |
| Granulometry | 1–4 mm crystalline or compacted granular |
| Free acidity | per spec |
Standards: KS 1900-4 / KS EAS 750. Sampling per KS 158:2018.
Origin
Russia, Kazakhstan, China. AS is a steelmaking and caprolactam by-product, with substantial production capacity across the panel of upstream originators.
AS supply is secured per cargo with the upstream originator (typically Acron, KuibyshevAzot, MMK by-product stream or Tonghua / Hubei); spec is anchored to the named factory grade at SPA stage.
Loadports
| Corridor | Port | Inspector |
|---|---|---|
| Black Sea | Novorossiysk | SGS |
| Black Sea (transit) | Poti | Bureau Veritas |
| Baltic | Ust-Luga | SGS / Bureau Veritas |
| Caspian | Aktau | Intertek |
| Asian transit | Qingdao | Cotecna / CCIC |
Volume
10,000–30,000 MT per shipment.
Delivery Terms
FOB / CFR Mombasa / CIF Mombasa. Incoterms 2020.
Payment
Buyer's bank issues; seller's bank advises or — where required — confirms. Sarpah is not on the instrument chain. MT103 prepayment with APG under URDG 758, irrevocable DLC under UCP 600 with charter-party B/L under Article 22 + ISBP 821 G6–G11, or SBLC under ISP98 / URDG 758 for multi-shipment frames — all available.
Application
- KTDA tea estates — sulphur supplementation alongside the NPK 26:5:5 baseline.
- Sugar cane — West Kenya Sugar (Rai Group), Kibos Sugar, Sony Sugar, Mumias, Butali, Nzoia, KISCOL — sulphur on cane is critical for sucrose accumulation.
- Coffee estates and KPCU cooperatives — flush-stage sulphur top-dress.
- Acid-soil maize zones — Western Kenya soils with low base saturation respond well to sulphur application alongside the 23-23-0 / 20-20-0 planting blends.
- Horticulture — premium-quality vegetable and flower production for export markets.
Compliance
- Buyer-side product registration with the Fertilizer & Animal Foodstuffs Board (Cap 345 framework) and KEBS standardisation; the buyer is the importer of record.
- KEBS Certificate of Conformity at loadport under the 2026–2029 PVoC cycle.
- EAC CET HS 3102.21.00 — 0%.
- VAT exempt under Finance Act 2025.
- IDF 2.5%, RDL 2.0%.
Procurement Profile
| Buyer | Volume | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| KTDA / tea estate | 5,000–15,000 MT per quarter | Flush cycle |
| Sugar estate | 5,000–15,000 MT per quarter | Pre-tilling and ratoon |
| FAFB-registered blender | 10,000–25,000 MT per shipment | Recurring |
| Coffee cooperative | 1,000–5,000 MT per quarter | Flush onset |
Talk to us
Specify volume per shipment, destination port, payment instrument, target shipment window and end-use (tea / sugar / coffee / blender).