WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Nutrien ( NTR ),

the world's top potash producer, expects increased fertilizer

use by North American farmers this fall and a good global potash

market in 2026 despite some crop prices at multi-year lows,

company executives told analysts on Thursday.

"We expect to be in a strong market next year," Nutrien ( NTR ) CEO Ken

Seitz said on a call with analysts.

Nutrien ( NTR ) topped Wall Street estimates for second-quarter

profit on Wednesday, benefiting from improved demand in North

America amid a robust corn planting season.

The strong results were a rare bright spot for

agriculture-focused companies after large agribusinesses

including Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge Global reported their

weakest quarterly earnings in years amid trade uncertainty from

U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, while farm equipment

makers warned of sales headwinds due to slumping farm incomes.

The company boosted its estimate of full-year potash sales

following record sales in the first half of 2025, to a range of

13.9 million to 14.5 million metric tons, as farmers reacted to

improving weather in parts of North America which had been

grappling with drought conditions in previous years.

"We see growers investing to protect their yields," said

Jeff Tarsi, Nutrien's ( NTR ) head of global retail.

Crop prices for wheat, corn and soybeans are near multi-year

lows in North America, a factor that can sometimes restrain

farmers from buying fertilizer and other inputs, analysts say.

But excellent crops in many parts of the continent are

encouraging farmers to use higher rates of fertilizer as this

year's expected high-yield crops remove more fertilizer from the

soil. To produce maximum yields in 2026, U.S. farmers will need

to replenish soil fertilizer levels more than in some recent dry

years, Tarsi said.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported American

corn and soybean crops were in the best condition for years at

this point of the growing season. Crop prices have fallen as

markets anticipate big supplies from North America, Brazil and

other significant areas.

Seitz said he sees the global potash market as "in balance"

with "healthy" prices, citing strong demand and supplies

unlikely to swell quickly due to challenges producers face in

developing new projects.