EX-99.2 4 d523730dex992.htm EX-99.2 EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

 

LOGO

 

  2023 Management’s

  Discussion & Analysis

 


       
Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
       
       
       
               

 

Management’s discussion

& analysis

The following management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) is the responsibility of management and is dated as of February 22, 2024.

 

 

 

The Board of Directors (“Board”) of Nutrien carries out its responsibility for review of this disclosure principally through its Audit Committee, comprised exclusively of independent directors. The Audit Committee reviews and, prior to its publication, recommends to the Board approval of this disclosure. The Board has approved this disclosure. The term “Nutrien” refers to Nutrien Ltd. and the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Nutrien” and “the Company” refer to Nutrien and, as applicable, Nutrien and its direct and indirect subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. This MD&A is based on the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 (“consolidated financial statements”) based on International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, unless otherwise stated.

This MD&A contains certain non-GAAP financial measures and ratios, which do not have a standard meaning under IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Such non-GAAP financial measures and ratios include

 

  Adjusted EBITDA

 

  Adjusted net earnings and adjusted net earnings per share
  Gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization per tonne – manufactured

 

  Potash controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne

 

  Ammonia controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne

 

  Retail adjusted average working capital to sales and Retail adjusted average working capital to sales excluding Nutrien Financial

 

  Nutrien Financial adjusted net interest margin

 

  Retail cash operating coverage ratio

 

  Return on invested capital (“ROIC”)

 

  Adjusted net debt

For definitions, further information and reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable measures under IFRS, see the “Non-GAAP financial measures” and “Other financial measures” sections.

Also see the cautionary statement in the “Forward-looking statements” section.

All references to per share amounts pertain to diluted net earnings (loss) per share. Financial data in this annual report is stated in millions of US dollars, which is the functional currency of Nutrien and the majority of its subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted.

Information that is not meaningful is indicated by n/m. Information that is not applicable is indicated by n/a. See the “Other financial measures” and “Terms and definitions” sections for definitions, abbreviations and terms used in this annual report including the MD&A.

Additional information relating to Nutrien (which, except as otherwise noted, is not incorporated by reference herein), including our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023, can be found on SEDAR+ at sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at sec.gov. The Company is a foreign private issuer under the rules and regulations of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The information contained on or accessible from our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this MD&A or any other report or document we file with or furnish to applicable Canadian or US securities regulatory authorities.

 

 

 

 

8   Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
       
       
       
               

 

Our approach to annual reporting

Our goal is to communicate how we evaluate the opportunities and challenges in our operating environment, which shape our approach to setting strategy, managing risk and governing our actions. The priorities of our key stakeholders impact the way we approach long-term value creation, including addressing key sustainability priorities. We continue to integrate sustainability-related information into our corporate reporting framework, including reporting our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, in this annual report.

 

 

 

01

Our company

Outlines who we are as a company, where we operate, how we create value and describes each of our operating segments

 

12 | How we create value

14 | Global profile

16 | Operating segments

 

        

03

Strategy

Describes our corporate strategy and how each of our operating segments is supporting that strategy

 

30 | Nutrien’s strategy

31 | Operating segment focus

35 | Capital allocation

        

LOGO

 

05

Key enterprise risks

Outlines the key risks that could affect our performance and our future operations

 

44 | Key enterprise risks

 

 

06

Results

Highlights our financial results for the

year 2023 and guidance for 2024

 

52 | Operating segment performance

64 | Performance against 2023 targets

65 | 2024 Guidance and sensitivities

66 | Annual financial information

LOGO

 

        

04

Governance

Describes our key corporate governance principles and risk management process

 

40 | Corporate governance

41 | Board and executive leadership

42 | Risk governance

43 | Risk management process

     

 

02

Operating environment

Defines factors and trends that

influence the environment we

operate in and outlook for 2024

 

20 | Megatrends

23 | Market fundamentals and outlook

         LOGO      

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   9


LOGO

 

Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment      
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      

01   Our

   company

 

 

 

 

 

10  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes      
  Our company          
  Operating environment          
  Strategy          
  Governance          
  Key enterprise risks          
  Results          

 

    

 

Alberta, Canada

 

Wheat is a staple food for 35 percent of the world’s population. Canada is a top exporter of wheat to approximately 60 countries worldwide. Nutrien operates 10 fertilizer production facilities in Western Canada and serves growers from our 275 Retail selling locations on the Canadian prairies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  11


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
               

 

How we create value

Our integrated business provides a number of advantages compared to our competitors, including operational, financial and sustainability opportunities. We continue to explore ways to further enhance the capabilities of our business to capture additional benefits across the agriculture value chain.

 

 

 

 

  1 | Advantaged

    position across

    the ag value

    chain

 

Our integrated business provides competitive advantages to optimize operations, transportation and logistics, increase supply chain efficiencies, support volume growth, and be the key connection with the grower.

   LOGO

 

 

 

World-class production assets     Global supply chain     Leading ag retail network
   

26Mmt

 

   

~460

 

   

>2,000

 

NPK manufactured sales volumes in 2023     wholesale fertilizer
distribution points
    Retail selling locations across North
America, South America and Australia
   

~2,000

 

   

>1,000

 

   

>4,000

 

proprietary products     crop input suppliers     crop consultants
       

 

 

 

 

 

12   Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
               

 

LOGO  

 

2 | Proven financial

  strength and stability

 

Our diversified Retail business enhances the stability of our earnings base and our low-cost fertilizer production assets have historically generated significant cash flow, providing the ability to invest in our business and return meaningful capital to our shareholders.

 

 

 

Substantial cash generation        Balanced approach to capital allocation (2019-2023)

 

$4.8B

 

annual average cash provided by
operating activities (2019-2023)

      

 

(percent)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

 

 

 3 | Provider of sustainable

   agriculture solutions

 

Positioned to drive long-term value creation through integration of
sustainability initiatives, from fertilizer production to grower practices
in the field.

   LOGO

 

 

 

Carbon

sequestration

 

      

Sustainability

program

 

       

Collaborative

partnerships

 

400K        900K        

Value chain

collaborator

tonnes CO2 permanently sequestered        sustainable agriproduct        
from our operations in 2023        program acres        

to advance sustainable agriculture

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   13

 


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
               

 

Global profile

 

Our world-class fertilizer manufacturing assets are primarily located in North America, with access to high-quality resources, lower cost inputs and an extensive distribution network to efficiently supply our customers. Our Retail business serves growers in key agricultural markets in North America, South America and Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  6       13   
 

Potash mines

in Saskatchewan

      Nitrogen production and upgrade facilities in North America and Trinidad   

 

  1,475      6        
  Retail selling locations in North America      Phosphate production and upgrade facilities in the US   

 

 

Retail

 

    

 250

    Retail selling locations

    in South America

Potash

 

 

Nitrogen

 

 

Phosphate

 

 

Joint venture and investments

 

 

European distribution

 

 

 

 

14  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
               

 

$19.5B   $3.8B    $3.8B    $1.7B
Net sales 1   Net sales 1,2    Net sales 1,2    Net sales 1,2
$1.5B   $2.4B    $1.9B    $0.5B
Adjusted   Adjusted    Adjusted    Adjusted
EBITDA 1   EBITDA 1    EBITDA 1    EBITDA 1
17,000   3,200    1,700    1,500
Number of   Number of    Number of    Number of
employees 3   employees 3    employees 3    employees 3

 

  1

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

  2

Related to manufactured products for Potash, Nitrogen and Phosphate.

  3

As at December 31, 2023.

 

 

 

  385
 

Retail selling locations

in Australia

Nutrien has four reportable operating segments: Retail, Potash, Nitrogen and Phosphate. The Retail segment distributes crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed and merchandise, and provides services, including financing, directly to growers through a network of Retail selling locations in North America, South America and Australia. The Potash, Nitrogen and Phosphate segments are differentiated by the chemical nutrient contained in the products that each produces.

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  15


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
               

 

Operating segments

Nutrien has four reportable operating segments: Retail, Potash, Nitrogen and Phosphate. We are the world’s premier retailer of crop inputs and services and operate the largest global network of fertilizer production and distribution assets.

 

     
LOGO   |   Retail | #1 Global ag retailer

 

Our global Retail network of over 2,000 selling locations in seven countries provides growers with a comprehensive portfolio of value-added agronomic products and services that includes crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed and application services. The size and scale of our network provides reach and flexibility to reliably serve our customers throughout the growing season. We are focused on building leading digital capabilities that support data-driven insights to more efficiently serve our grower customers and offer competitive credit products that meet their crop input financing needs.

We produce an innovative portfolio of approximately 2,000 proprietary crop nutrient, crop protection and seed products. These proprietary products generate a

higher margin for Nutrien and enhance crop production efficiency and profitability for the grower. We are a leading provider of plant nutritional products, including biostimulants, which aim to increase crop yields through enhanced nutrient efficiency and improved plant and soil health outcomes.

Over 4,000 crop consultants support our grower customers in crop planning, seed selection, soil sampling, variable rate fertilizer application and crop monitoring. Our agronomic tools and expertise combined with our broad portfolio of value-added products supports on-farm sustainability, enabling grower adoption of products and practices that maximize productivity and minimize environmental impacts.

 

 

     
LOGO   |   Potash | #1 Global potash producer

 

We operate six low-cost potash mines in Saskatchewan, which have access to the best potash geology in the world and are located in a stable geopolitical environment, minimizing supply risk for our customers. We produce multiple grades of potash and our flexible network provides the ability to efficiently adjust operating capability in response to changing market conditions.

Our extensive North American transportation and distribution network includes approximately 5,900 owned or leased railcars serviced by multiple railway providers.

 

Through Canpotex – our joint venture potash export, sales and marketing company – we have access to four North American marine terminals and other facilities as needed to export potash to customers in approximately 40 countries around the world.

Our engagement practices help in building relationships and supporting our communities, including the procurement of materials and supplies from over 35 Indigenous owned and operated businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

16   Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
       
       
       

 

 

 

     
LOGO   |   Nitrogen | #3 Global nitrogen producer

 

We produce nitrogen at nine strategically located production facilities throughout Canada, the US and Trinidad and operate four regional product upgrade sites in North America. Our North American operations, which account for approximately 85 percent of our Nitrogen sales volumes, have access to some of the lowest cost natural gas in the world and are well positioned to serve agriculture and industrial markets. Our Trinidad operations support sales to approximately 30 countries and have natural gas supply contracts indexed to ammonia prices.

We produce a diverse portfolio of nitrogen products and have flexibility to optimize product mix in changing

market conditions. Our transportation and distribution network leverages truck, rail, pipeline, barge and marine vessel modes, including direct access to tidewater in both the US and Trinidad.

We leverage CCUS at two of our facilities and have captured and sold at least 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually for the last five years. We continue to support our grower customers to reduce their environmental impact by expanding our portfolio of manufactured products, including enhanced efficiency fertilizers such as ESN®.

 

 

     
LOGO   |   Phosphate | #2 North American phosphate producer

 

Nutrien has two large integrated phosphate production facilities and four regional product upgrade sites in the US. Our high-quality phosphate rock enables production of a diverse mix of phosphate products, including solid and liquid fertilizers, feed and industrial acids. We are the largest producer of purified phosphoric acid in North America and sell the majority of our product in this market, benefiting from our extensive distribution network and customer relationships.

We have a strong focus on environmental stewardship, reclaiming thousands of acres of mined land every year to useful purposes, remediating soil and groundwater including the planting of over half a million trees in 2023, and reducing environmental risks through our commitment to sustaining our assets at the highest level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   17

 


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      
       
       
               
       

02  Operating

   environment

 

 

 

 

 

 

18  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks    
  Results      
       
       
       
 

 

Paraná, Brazil

 

Brazil is one of the largest and fastest growing agriculture markets in the world. The country produces over 150 million tonnes of soybeans annually, which requires a significant amount of potash. Brazil was the largest market for Canpotex potash sales in 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  19


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       
               

 

Megatrends

We define megatrends as emerging macro-level trends and global dynamics that we believe will have ongoing impacts on business, government and society that are expected to shape our operating environment over the next decade. Tracking and analyzing megatrends informs Nutrien’s strategy. See page 28 for more information on our related strategy and page 44 for our related key enterprise risks.

 

 

 

Food security

 

Despite advances in modern agriculture, food security remains a global challenge. Producing enough nutritious food for the world’s eight billion people, and transporting it to where it is needed, is straining existing global resources. It is estimated that over 10 percent of the world’s population is food insecure. A rising population, expected to grow by close to two billion people by 2050, is further increasing the scale of this challenge.

 

The agricultural landscape continues to evolve and be influenced by sustainability practices, climate change and social trends that could impact the ability to address global food security challenges. Nutrien is well positioned to develop innovative products and solutions to help our customers feed a growing population while addressing the environmental and social challenges the agriculture industry is facing.

 

Related enterprise risks:

                                                    

 

 Agricultural changes and trends

 

 Climate change

 

 Stakeholder support

    LOGO

 

 

 

20   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       

 

 

Climate change

 

Our business, industry, customers and other stakeholders in the agriculture value chain face long-term challenges related to climate change, including increasing expectations for climate actions and reductions of GHG emissions.

 

Physical risks from a changing climate can impact our operations, our customers and our supply chain. These include more intense weather events, longer droughts, rising sea levels, and changes in average temperature and precipitation patterns. Global decarbonization ambitions and the resulting energy transition are driving carbon regulations and informing capital allocation priorities of investors.

 

Nutrien faces evolving challenges related to potential regulatory changes, including carbon pricing. At the same time, a transition to a low-carbon economy could create significant opportunities for Nutrien to help growers manage these impacts and improve their resilience by facilitating the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and developing products that can improve yields in more challenging conditions. The energy transition is accelerating the development of technologies that can support our GHG emission reduction efforts.

 

Related enterprise risks:

                                                    

 

 Climate change

 

 

LOGO

    

 

Technology

and digitalization

 

Digital technologies and access to vast amounts of data are supporting the transformation of our industry and Nutrien. In mining operations, advances in automation and autonomous mining are improving safety by removing workers from the more hazardous areas and enabling productivity increases. Agriculture and food systems are undergoing technological changes driven by big data, digital connectivity, artificial intelligence and innovations in biotechnology.

 

The regulatory environment around artificial intelligence continues to evolve across multiple jurisdictions. This evolution can cause uncertainty as to how these tools could be deployed and leveraged, how privacy and security safeguards will be incorporated, and levels of investment in innovation.

 

We also have an opportunity to help turn data into insights for our grower customers, and for our grower customers to turn those insights into actions, which presents further opportunities through the agriculture value chain.

 

The proliferation of technology and data also creates increased risks to our information systems and customer data. Our dependence on technology may contribute to cyber-related events becoming more disruptive and costly. As we gather increasingly more data from our customers, we are continually evolving our practices to align with data security and privacy regulations.

 

Related enterprise risks:

                                                    

 

 Cybersecurity threats

 

 Agricultural changes and trends

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   21


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       

 

LOGO

 

Geopolitical volatility

 

Geopolitical turmoil around the world is being driven by nationalism, polarization and economic instability. Due to globalization, regional events are having global impacts. In particular, the continued war in Eastern Europe and the more recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East have resulted in, and may continue to result in, supply chain disruptions and price volatility for energy and several commodities.

 

Global geopolitical instability and resulting disruptions could impair our ability to distribute our products in a cost-effective and timely manner to our customers or disrupt our supply chains. If significant geopolitical events occur in one of the countries where we have significant operations, the impact could be more direct and affect our operations, production or revenues. Conversely, disruptions in markets could result in improvements to our financial performance through increased market share or higher sales.

 

Related enterprise risks:

                                                    

 

   Political, economic and

 

    social instability

  

Societal expectations

 

Stakeholders are increasingly focused on corporate sustainability performance and disclosure. Investors are considering environmental and social principles alongside traditional financial metrics in capital allocation decisions and, along with regulators, are considering those principles in evaluating disclosure enhancements. In addition to climate-related matters, societal concerns include impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as challenges faced by underrepresented groups inside and outside of the workplace.

 

In response to these expectations, governments may impose new regulations or increase the stringency of existing ones. If we are not able to meet stakeholder expectations for environmental and social performance and disclosure, it could be more difficult to access cost-efficient capital, retain talent or maintain our freedom to operate.

 

Nutrien believes that our response to these trends will not only help to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges but also create opportunities to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Delivering on our sustainability commitments can attract new investors, support internal engagement, and help attract and retain talent.

 

Related enterprise risks:

                                                    

 

   Changing regulations

 

   Stakeholder support

 

   Talent and organization culture

 

 

 

22   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
               

 

Market fundamentals and outlook

We carefully monitor market fundamentals and our competitive landscape in order to anticipate and adapt to the environment in which we operate. Understanding our operating environment and expectations for the future positions us to better identify and manage risks that could jeopardize our ability to deliver on our strategy and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

 

 

  

 

  

 

       
LOGO   Retail    Crop input sales by product (2023) 1    Crop input sales by region (2023) 1
     (percent)    (percent)

$130B

 

2023 total market crop
input sales 1

   LOGO    LOGO
   Source: USDA, StatsCan, ABARES, Conab, IMEA, AgbioInvestor, Nutrien    Source: USDA, StatsCan, ABARES, Conab, IMEA, AgbioInvestor, Nutrien

 

  

 

  

       
LOGO   Potash    Global potash demand (2023)    Global potash production (2023)
     (percent)    (percent)

67-68Mmt

 

2023 global potash

(KCI) demand

   LOGO    LOGO
   Source: CRU    Source: CRU

 

  

 

  

       
LOGO   Nitrogen    Global nitrogen demand (2023)    Global nitrogen production (2023)
     (percent)    (percent)

~155Mmt

 

2023 global nitrogen

(N) demand

   LOGO    LOGO
   Source: SPGCI    Source: SPGCI

 

  

 

  

       
LOGO   Phosphate    Global phosphate demand (2023)    Global phosphate production (2023)
     (percent)    (percent)

~51Mmt

 

2023 global phosphate
(P2O5) demand

   LOGO    LOGO
   Source: CRU    Source: CRU

 

1

Represents total market sales of seed, fertilizer and crop protection products in the US, Canada, Australia and Brazil.

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   23


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Retail

 

Market fundamentals

Total crop protection, seed and fertilizer sales in our major Retail operating regions equated to approximately $130 billion in 2023. As the need to feed the world’s population increases, growers are challenged to sustainably increase yields from a finite arable land base. This drives growth in demand for crop inputs and agronomic services.

The agriculture retail industry is highly fragmented in most of the major markets in which we operate, primarily composed of small and medium-sized competitors. Scale, reliability of supply and the ability to provide innovative products and solutions, including digital offerings that support sustainable agriculture, are increasingly important to growers.

In North America, the largest crops grown include canola, corn, cotton, soybean and wheat. It is a more mature market with growers leveraging advanced agriculture tools and who are willing and able to invest in high-value products and services.

 

In Australia, growers require a full suite of crop production inputs but also solutions for livestock, water and irrigation services.

Brazil is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing agriculture markets. It is currently the largest soybean producer and the third largest producer of corn globally. Its retail industry is highly fragmented, and there remains opportunity for investment and adoption of more advanced products and services at the grower level.

Market outlook

Global grain stocks-to-use ratios remain historically low going into the 2024 growing season as tightening supplies of wheat and rice have offset increased corn supplies in the US and Brazil. We expect weather and geopolitical issues will continue to impact grain and oilseed production, exports and inventory levels.

Crop prices have declined from historically high levels in 2022, but lower crop input prices have resulted in improved demand, evidenced

by the strong North American fall application season in 2023. We expect US corn plantings to range from 91 to 92 million acres in 2024 and soybean plantings to range from 87 to 88 million acres.

In Brazil, dry weather during the summer crop growing season and lower corn prices could result in lower corn area in 2024. Brazilian growers are expected to continue to expand soybean acreage, which we anticipate will support the need for strong fertilizer imports in the second and third quarters of 2024.

In Australia, growers have benefited from multiple years of above-average yields and fundamentals remain supportive entering 2024. Timely precipitation led to higher-than-expected winter crop production, however if the El Niño weather pattern continues, it could pose a risk for the 2024 growing season.

 

 

 

 

US ag retail industry profile (2023)

 

(percent)

    

 

 

US grower cash production margins 1

 

(US$ margin per acre)

LOGO      LOGO
Source: Croplife     

Source: CRU, Fertecon, USDA, Bloomberg, Nutrien

 

1  Forecasts use the December 2024 corn and November 2024 soybean futures contracts as of January 30, 2024.

 

 

 

24   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Potash

 

Market fundamentals

Potash strengthens root systems including water uptake, drought and disease tolerance and increases the uptake of other nutrients – all important in volatile growing conditions. Potash demand growth is driven by increasing nutrient requirements of higher-yielding crops and improving soil fertility practices, particularly in emerging markets where potash has been historically under-applied and crop yields lag.

High-quality potash reserves in significant quantities are limited to a small number of countries. Canada has the largest known global potash reserves, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the total. More than 75 percent of the world’s potash capacity is held by the six largest producers.

Building new production capacity requires significant capital and time to bring online. Brownfield projects have a significant per- tonne capital cost advantage over greenfield projects.

 

Most major potash-consuming countries in Asia and Latin America have limited or no production capability and rely on imports to meet their needs. Trade typically accounts for approximately three-quarters of demand for potash, resulting in a globally diversified marketplace.

Market outlook

Global potash demand was strong through the second half of 2023, and we estimate full-year shipments were between 67 to 68 million tonnes. The increase was supported by strong consumption and increased imports in key markets such as North America, China and Brazil.

We expect global potash demand will continue to recover towards trend levels in 2024 with full-year shipments projected between
68-71 million tonnes. We anticipate a relatively balanced global market with incremental supply from producers in Canada, Russia, Belarus and Laos.

We are seeing strong potash demand ahead of the North American spring application season as channel inventories were tight to start the year. Potash demand in Southeast Asia is expected to increase significantly in 2024 due to much lower inventory levels compared to the prior year and favorable economics for key crops such as oil palm and rice. We expect lower potash imports from China compared to the record levels in 2023 but for demand to remain at historically high levels driven by increased consumption.

 

 

 

 

Global potash demand

 

(millions of tonnes KCl)

     

 

 

Potash demand in key regions

 

(millions of tonnes KCl)

LOGO

 

      LOGO
Source: IFA, Argus, CRU, Nutrien       Source: Industry Consultants, Nutrien

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   25


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Nitrogen

 

Market fundamentals

Nitrogen is an essential crop nutrient and is a fundamental building block of plant proteins that improve both crop yield and quality. The necessity of nitrogen for crop yield supports a strong and growing demand source for nitrogen fertilizers. Additionally, nitrogen is used as an input in many industrial processes and has the potential to provide further value as markets for low-carbon ammonia emerge.

Production of nitrogen products is the most geographically diverse of the three primary crop nutrients due to the widespread availability of hydrogen sources. Access to reliable and competitively priced energy feedstock supply is an important driver of profitability, as recent geopolitical events have created additional volatility in certain global energy markets. North American nitrogen producers currently have an advantaged cost position due to

the relatively low price of natural gas compared to competitors in Europe and Asia.

The US remains one of the largest importers of nitrogen products and a key driver of global trade despite a significant increase in domestic capacity and production over the past decade. China and India are the largest-consuming countries of nitrogen products, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the world’s consumption.

Market outlook

We expect nitrogen supply constraints to persist in 2024, including limited Russian ammonia exports, reduced European operating rates and Chinese urea export restrictions. North American natural gas prices remain highly competitive compared to Europe and Asia, and we expect Henry Hub natural gas prices to average approximately $2.50 per MMBtu for the year.

The US nitrogen supply and demand balance is projected to be tight ahead of the spring application season, as nitrogen fertilizer net imports in the first half of the 2023/2024 fertilizer year were down an estimated 55 percent compared to the three-year average. Global industrial nitrogen demand remains a risk in 2024 as industrial production, most notably in Europe and Asia, has yet to rebound to historical levels.

 

 

 

 

 

Global ammonia demand

 

(millions of tonnes)

     

 

 

Natural gas prices in key regions

 

(US$ per MMBtu)

LOGO       LOGO
     
Source: SPGCI      

Source: ICE, CME, Nutrien

 

1  Futures prices as of February 7, 2024. AECO based on US Henry Hub forecast less $1.00/MMBtu of basis.

 

 

 

26   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Operating environment    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Phosphate

 

Market fundamentals

Phosphorus is essential to all living things and is key to energy reactions in the plant, particularly photosynthesis, and vital to plant growth. Demand for phosphate fertilizers has steadily increased over the last 20 years. Additionally, phosphate is used as an input in many feed and industrial processes.

Phosphate rock is found in significant quantity and quality in only a handful of geographic locations. Given the concentration of deposits in North Africa and the Middle East, government involvement is a major consideration when evaluating potential phosphate project developments.

The majority of new phosphate fertilizer supply over the past

decade was from producers in China, Morocco, Russia and Saudi Arabia. As a result, total US phosphate production declined by approximately 30 percent over this period.

China’s trade policy has a major impact on the global phosphate market. In 2023, Chinese DAP/MAP exports were down approximately 30 percent from 2021 levels as a result of export restrictions.

India and Brazil are the largest importers of phosphate fertilizers, with limited domestic production. In more mature markets like North America, we have seen continued demand growth for phosphate fertilizers that incorporate secondary nutrients and micronutrients like Nutrien’s MAP+MST product.

Market outlook

Phosphate fertilizer markets have remained relatively strong in the first quarter of 2024, particularly in North America where channel inventories were low entering the year. We expect Chinese phosphate export restrictions to be similar to 2023 levels and tight stocks in India to support demand ahead of their key planting season.

 

 

 

 

Global P2O5 demand

 

(millions of tonnes)

     

 

 

China DAP/MAP exports

 

(millions of tonnes)

LOGO       LOGO
     
Source: CRU       Source: CRU, Argus, Nutrien

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   27


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights  

Financial statements and notes

 
  Our company      
  Operating environment      
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      
                 
03   Strategy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

         
Overview     MD&A   Five-year highlights        Financial statements and notes       
  Our company         
  Operating environment      
  Strategy        
  Governance        
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results        
       

 

Victoria, Australia

 

 
       

 

Canola is Australia’s major oilseed crop. Grown in Australia’s Grain Belt, canola production has increased significantly to an average of 3 million tonnes per year. Nutrien has 385 Retail selling locations in Australia to support growers of many different crops, including canola.

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  29


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

Nutrien’s strategy

Our vision is to be the leading global integrated agriculture solutions provider, delivering superior shareholder value through sustainable operations. In pursuit of our vision, we utilize our integrated business to optimize enterprise value by enhancing our core business, allocating capital to high-value strategic investments and progressing initiatives that fortify our business for the future.

 

 

 

LOGO         LOGO         LOGO
   
Enhance         Advance         Fortify our
our core         high-value         business
business         strategic         for the
        initiatives         future
   

 

 

Increase operational efficiency and asset utilization, maximize cost savings, and focus on integration and investments that enhance margins and free cash flow.

 

   

 

 

Allocate capital to high-value and high-conviction investments that generate significant long-term returns for our shareholders.

       

 

 

Focus on initiatives that reduce GHG emissions, enhance on-farm environmental performance, invest in our people and procurement programs, and position our Company to sustainably deliver on our current and future business needs.

               
               

 

 

 

 

 

 

30   Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Retail
strategic
priorities
   We are advancing our global Retail network through a combination of organic growth, accretive acquisitions, and optimization initiatives that expand our ability to provide whole-acre solutions for growers and enables us to be the leading customer-first ag solutions provider.

 

 

 

      

 

 

Achieve best-in-class commercial execution, rationalize costs and maximize network efficiencies and integration synergies

Business

optimization

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Centralized and modernized five locations in our core markets, allowing us to serve the customer more safely and efficiently

        

•  Paused our expansions and acquisitions in Brazil, focusing on integrating recently acquired businesses

LOGO

 

Enhance our

core business

        

•  Optimized our North American footprint through the closure and consolidation of 10 locations

 

        

 

 

Prioritize digital capability development that supports our core business offering, improves decision-making, drives efficiency and enhances our grower value proposition

Digital

innovation

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Launched a digitally enabled financing platform in Australia, enhancing our grower value proposition

LOGO

 

Enhance our

core business

        

•  Empowered our grower customer financial operations with new digital decision-making tools through advancements to our digital innovation in North America

 

 

        

 

 

Grow earnings and share in core geographies through targeted network expansion and investment in high growth categories, such as biological product technologies

Targeted

expansion and

proprietary

products

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Contributed $1.0 billion in gross margin from our global proprietary products portfolio, with growth of 6 percent per year over the last five years

        

•  Continued to extract value from our innovation pipeline, realizing over $750 million in global proprietary plant nutrition and biostimulant sales in 2023

LOGO

 

Advance high-value

strategic initiatives

        

•  Completed 23 acquisitions in our core Retail markets

 

        

 

 

Development of scalable sustainability programming, featuring solutions that improve grower productivity and efficiency and generate value for Nutrien and our diverse group of partners

Sustainability
outcomes

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Doubled our sustainably engaged acres to two million, continuing integration of our high-value products and services into our outcome-based sustainability programming

LOGO

  Fortify our business
for the future
        

•  Generated first verified GHG offsets and insets from our sustainability programming, creating opportunities for deeper value-chain collaboration and partner connectivity

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   31


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Potash
strategic
priorities
  

We are utilizing our world-class Potash network and integrated supply chain to respond to market supply and demand dynamics. We continue to invest in efficiency and new technologies to manage our costs, optimize and modernize our asset base, advance our sustainability commitments, and preserve the reliability and safety of our operations.

 

 

 

      

 

 

Deliver initiatives that improve safety, reduce costs, increase network flexibility and improve our environmental footprint

 

Operational

excellence

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Increased annual ore tonnes cut using autonomous mining by 40 percent and continue to scale these technologies across our network

        

•  Completed ore recovery projects alongside other efficiency related initiatives to maintain an advantaged global cost position and reduce waste

LOGO

 

Enhance our

core business

        

 

        

 

 

Pursue opportunities that promote growth and strengthen the channel to our customers

Supply chain

optimization

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Enhanced value of our integrated business by sourcing a significant majority of Retail’s North American supply needs from our six potash mines in Saskatchewan

LOGO

 

Enhance our

core business

        

 

 

Leverage

flexibility and
optimize value

        

 

 

Ensure a flexible go-to-market strategy that responds to variable conditions, satisfies demand requirements and optimizes long-term value as the market grows

 

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Paused the accelerated ramp-up of our annual potash production capability to 18 million tonnes in response to market conditions and continued to advance certain in-flight projects to maximize value of capital spent and support long-term growth

LOGO

 

Advance high-value

strategic initiatives

        

 

        

 

 

Action our workforce strategy to deliver talent and skills for tomorrow and support our future needs

Strengthen our
workforce

 

        

 

Key 2023 activities

        

•  Executed attraction and retention initiatives that strengthen our workforce and support diversity and inclusion, including local and Indigenous partnerships

LOGO

  Fortify our business
for the future
        

 

        

 

 

 

 

32   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Nitrogen
strategic
priorities
   We are enhancing our strategically positioned Nitrogen business through investment projects that improve the reliability and energy efficiency of our facilities while selectively increasing capacity and product mix flexibility. We are unwavering in our pursuit of safe, reliable and efficient operations while continuing to leverage process and product innovations to proactively address sustainability needs.

 

 

 

      

 

 

Maintain globally competitive position, increasing product mix flexibility and improving reliability, efficiency and supply chain performance

 

Operational
excellence

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Completed major maintenance turnarounds at our Geismar and Borger sites, addressing reliability needs and increasing efficiency

          

•  Completed initial construction and technology development of our Nitrogen Real-time Operations Center, providing troubleshooting, monitoring and optimization support across our entire network of 13 nitrogen production and upgrade facilities

LOGO

 

Enhance our

core business

     

 

        

 

 

Selectively invest in high-conviction, high-return growth opportunities in North America, supporting the needs of the market

 

Invest in our North American assets

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Expanded our Geismar facility, adding incremental ammonia and nitric acid production capacity

        

•  Completed UAN debottleneck projects at our Geismar site, allowing for the expansion of production as additional nitric acid capacity projects planned for 2024 are completed

LOGO

 

Advance high-value

strategic initiatives

        

•  Suspended work on our Geismar clean ammonia plant as we monitor cost estimates and the evolving market for clean ammonia

 

 

        

 

 

Maintain position as an industry leader in low-carbon nitrogen production and continue to leverage process and product innovations to proactively address sustainability needs

 

Sustainability outcomes

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Completed our GHG Phase 1 abatement program, including the CO2 tie-in at our Redwater plant and an N2O abatement project at Geismar

LOGO

  Fortify our business
for the future
        

•  Increased our low-carbon ammonia production capability to 1.2 million tonnes across our Geismar, Redwater and Joffre sites

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   33


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

LOGO   Phosphate
strategic
priorities
   We are optimizing our phosphate business by continuing to focus on safety, sustainability and operating efficiencies, while leveraging our product mix and adapting to market conditions.

 

 

 

        

 

 

Increase base business efficiency through reliability and efficiency improvements

 

Operational
excellence

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Completed maintenance turnarounds at both Aurora and White Springs sites focused on key reliability improvements

LOGO

 

 

Enhance our

core business

        

•  Achieved a 3 percent improvement to our preventative maintenance compliance metric, a key leading reliability indicator

 

 

Premium
products and
mix flexibility

        

 

 

Maximize value via flexibility of product portfolio mix and focus on liquid fertilizer, feed, purified, and other premium product opportunities in North America

 

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Fulfilled 56 percent of sales volumes attributable to higher-margin products, including liquid fertilizer, feed and purified

LOGO

 

 

Enhance our

core business

        

•  Increased sales of our micronized sulfur dry phosphate product, MAP+MST by 125 percent compared to 2022 levels

 

 

 

Reclamation

and

environmental

risk reduction

        

 

 

Continue to advance reclamation efforts and proactively address environmental risks

 

         Key 2023 activities
        

•  Planted over 500,000 trees and continued our land reclamation efforts at our Aurora and White Springs sites

 

LOGO

  Fortify our business
for the future
        

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

34   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

Capital allocation

Our capital allocation framework prioritizes sustaining safe and reliable operations, a healthy balance sheet, strategically investing in our business, and providing meaningful returns to our shareholders through a stable and growing dividend and share repurchases. This balanced approach supports our strategy and enables us to enhance our core business, advance high-value strategic initiatives and fortify our business for the future.

 

          
    

LOGO

 

 

Safe and reliable

operations

 

  

  Sustain our assets to support safe and reliable operations

 

  Focus on continuous improvement initiatives and investments that enhance the utilization rates, reliability and efficiency of our assets

          
    

LOGO

 

 

Strong balance

sheet

 

  

  Provide sufficient and flexible access to liquidity while optimizing the cost of our capital through the cycle

 

  Expect to maintain adjusted net debt/adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio below three times, through the cycle

          
    

LOGO

 

 

Shareholder

returns

 

  

  Return capital to shareholders through a combination of stable and growing dividends and share repurchases

 

  Factor reduction in share count in the decision criteria for future dividend per share growth

          
    

LOGO

 

 

High-value growth

opportunities

 

  

  Selectively invest in high-value and high-conviction opportunities that are expected to generate significant long-term returns

 

  Evaluate investment opportunities by strategic fit, project economics using various financial return metrics and sustainability factors to align with our 2030 commitments and targets

          
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   35

 


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
               

 

Capital allocation

 

                    
          
LOGO  

 

Safe and reliable

operations

 

        

Sustaining, mine development and pre-stripping capital expenditures (2023)

 

(percent)

 

  

Sustaining, mine development and pre-stripping capital

expenditures 1

  

$1.7B

2023

   LOGO
     
          
                    
          
LOGO  

 

Strong balance

sheet

 

        

Debt and equity 4,5 (2023)

 

(percent)

 

   Adjusted Net Debt/ Adjusted EBITDA 2   

1.9x

2023

   LOGO
     
            
                    
          

LOGO

 

 

Shareholder

returns

 

        

Cash used for dividends and share repurchases (2023)

 

(percent)

 

   Cash used for dividends and share repurchases 1   

$2.1B

2023

   LOGO
     
            
                    
          
            

LOGO

 

 

High-value

growth

opportunities

 

        
   Investing capital expenditures 1   

$1.0B

2023

  

Investing capital expenditures 1 (2023)

 

(percent)

 

LOGO

     
  

Business

acquisitions 3

  

$0.2B

2023

            
            
                    

 

1

These are supplementary financial measures. See the “Other Financial Measures” section.

2

This is a capital management financial measure that includes a non-GAAP component. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Other Financial Measures” sections.

3

Net of cash acquired.

4

As at December 31, 2023.

5

Debt includes short-term debt, long-term debt and lease liabilities, including the current portions of each where applicable.

 

 

 

36   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Strategy    
       
       
       

 

             
     

 

 

LOGO

 

Key 2023 actions

 

  Completed reliability work and replaced key identified end-of-life assets across our operations, including major maintenance turnarounds and planned outages at five of our Nitrogen sites

 

  Invested in maintenance and safety-related initiatives for our Retail facilities

 

 

 

  LOGO
             
     

 

 

LOGO

 

Key 2023 actions

 

  Maintained our BBB investment-grade credit rating

 

  Repaid $500 million in senior notes that matured during the year and issued a total of $1.5 billion of 5-year and 30-year senior notes

 

  Reduced planned capital expenditures by $300 million providing flexibility on capital allocation alternatives

      LOGO
             
     

 

 

LOGO

 

Key 2023 actions

 

  Returned a total of $2.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases

 

  Dividend provided an average yield of 3.3 percent in 2023

 

  In February 2024, we announced a 2 percent increase to our quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, our sixth increase since 2018

      LOGO
             
     

 

 

LOGO

 

Key 2023 actions

 

  Completed 23 Retail acquisitions across the US, Australia and Brazil

 

  Invested in our Potash network including the procurement of additional autonomous mining machines and technology

 

  Completed Nitrogen brownfield expansion projects at our Geismar facility, increasing ammonia and nitric acid capability

 

  Invested in digital, proprietary products and sustainability related strategies to grow the business and reduce our environmental impact

      LOGO
             
     

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   37


LOGO

 

Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment      
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      
04  Governance

 

 

 

38   Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks    
  Results      
       
       
       
               
       
 

 

Bali, Indonesia

 

Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest producer of rice and is a key producer of oil palm, fruits and vegetables. Indonesia is one of the largest importers of potash, with strong growth prospects, which Nutrien is a key supplier through Canpotex.

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  39


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Governance    
       
       
               

 

Corporate governance

Nutrien’s Corporate Governance Structure includes policies and processes that define the roles of the Board and the Executive Leadership Team (“ELT”). Our Board oversees risk management and the execution of our corporate strategy. Below are highlights of our corporate governance practices. For more information, see our most recent Management Information Circular.

 

 

 

Board diversity

Having a mix of directors on the Board from varied backgrounds and with a diverse range of experience and skills fosters enhanced decision-making capacity and promotes strong corporate governance. Our Board Diversity Policy includes a target that women comprise no fewer than 30 percent of the Board members. As of December 31, 2023, four of our directors were women (33 percent of the total number of directors).

Executive compensation

Nutrien’s compensation framework is based on a pay-for-performance philosophy, with the majority of executive compensation being at risk. Since 2020, a component of executive compensation has been tied to demonstrated sustainability performance, including the addition of progress on GHG emission reduction projects and

diversity-related metrics in 2021. Each year, we include an advisory “say on pay” vote at our annual meeting (in line with 2019 amendments in the Government of Canada’s Bill C-97).

Board skills

Our Board competencies and skills matrices are essential tools to evaluate whether the Board has the right skills, perspectives, experience and expertise for proper oversight and effective decision making. The Board regularly reviews the skills matrix.

 

 

 

 

Core business skills 1

 

(percent of Board of Directors)

 

LOGO

 

1  As disclosed in Nutrien’s 2023 Management Proxy Circular.

  

Core industry experience 1

 

(percent of Board of Directors)

 

LOGO

 

 

 

 

 

 

40   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Governance    
       
       
               

 

Board of Directors

 

 

LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO
         
Russell Girling   Ken Seitz   Christopher Burley   Maura Clark   Michael Hennigan   Miranda Hubbs
Chair   President and Chief Executive Officer   Director   Director   Director   Director
         
LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO
         

Raj Kushwaha

Director

 

Alice Laberge

Director

 

Consuelo Madere

Director

 

Keith Martell

Director

 

Aaron Regent

Director

 

Nelson Luiz

Costa Silva

          Director

 

 

 

Executive Leadership Team

 

LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO    
         
Ken Seitz   Noralee Bradley   Pedro Farah   Andrew Kelemen    
President and Chief Executive Officer   Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Chief Sustainability and Legal Officer   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer   Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Strategy Officer    
         
LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO    
         
Chris Reynolds   Jeff Tarsi   Mark Thompson   Trevor Williams    
Executive Vice President and President, Potash   Executive Vice President and President, Global Retail   Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer   Executive Vice President and President, Nitrogen and Phosphate    

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   41


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Governance    
       
       
               

 

Risk governance

Risk management is an integral part of doing business and is governed by our Board, which has the highest level of oversight for risk governance. The Board is responsible for overseeing the execution and alignment of Nutrien’s corporate strategy and risk management processes.

 

 

 

Nutrien’s ELT has the responsibility of ensuring the Company’s principal risks are being appropriately identified, assessed and addressed. Management keeps the Board and each of the Board committees regularly apprised of risks and developments relevant to their mandates.

Responsibility and accountability for risk management are embedded in all levels of our organization, and we strive to integrate risk management into key decision-making processes and strategies. By considering risk throughout

our business, we seek to effectively manage the risks that could have an impact on our ability to deliver on our strategy.

Role of the Board committees

While the Board as a whole oversees our strategy and risk management processes, each Board committee has oversight over business topics and certain risk areas relevant to their committee mandate. More information can be found in Nutrien’s Board and Board committee charters on our website at nutrien.com.

 

 

 

 

 
Board/Board Committee        Oversight includes the following business topics or risk areas

 

 
Board of Directors  

  

•  Corporate strategy

•  Oversight of safety, health, environmental and security matters

  

•  Risk management

•  Human resources and compensation

•  Governance and compliance

 

      

 

 

 

Audit Committee

      

•  Accounting and financial reporting

•  Internal controls

  

•  Compliance

•  Financial risk management

 

      

 

 

 

Corporate Governance &

Nominating Committee

      

•  Corporate governance

•  Board diversity

  

•  Director orientation and continuing education

•  Board evaluation

 

      

 

 
Human Resources & Compensation Committee       

•  Executive compensation

•  Succession planning

  

•  Equity, diversity and inclusion, including the Company’s Indigenous Strategy as it relates to Indigenous employment and human resources matters with appropriate coordination with the S&S Committee

 

•  Learning and development

 

      

 

 

Safety & Sustainability

(“S&S”) Committee

      

•  Sustainability targets and goals

 

•  Risks, strengths and opportunities related to safety and sustainability including climate-related impacts

  

•  Safety and sustainability performance and strategy

 

•  Cybersecurity and data privacy

 

•  Status of remediation projects and environmental provisions

 

•  The Company’s Indigenous Strategy as it relates to Indigenous engagement and stakeholder relations, with appropriate coordination with the Human Resources & Compensation Committee

 

 

 

 

 

42   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Governance    

 

Governance for climate and sustainability

The Board’s S&S Committee has oversight over Nutrien’s climate-related risks and opportunities. The S&S Committee generally meets on a quarterly basis and covers many sustainability related matters within its mandate including those related to climate. Specifically, the S&S Committee’s role includes overseeing: policies relating

to sustainability and progress towards sustainability goals; approval of Nutrien’s annual Global Sustainability Report; reviewing progress against Nutrien’s Feeding the Future Plan and associated sustainability targets and goals; and review of Nutrien’s climate-related risks and opportunities. This committee directly advises the Board on these and other sustainability matters noted above.

 

 

 

 

Risk management process

Risk management is integrated into our strategy and business activities to facilitate informed decision making and responsible management of resources. Our Enterprise Risk Management process is overseen by our Enterprise Risk Management Team and guided by our global risk management framework. The framework promotes consistent and integrated application of risk management principles and processes across our organization and is scalable to support all levels of the business.

 

 

 

Nutrien’s operating segments and corporate functions use this framework to identify, assess and develop mitigation actions for key risks that could affect their strategy, operations or future performance. Assessment criteria embedded in the risk framework allow for comparability of different types of risks, including climate-related risks. Key criteria include the likelihood of impacting our business and the potential severity of impact.

Risks are evaluated individually and collectively at the management level to fully understand Nutrien’s risk landscape and identify interdependencies between risks. A consolidated view of our risks is presented to our ELT and senior leaders for review and discussion, along with outputs from external environment scans and emerging risk workshops. Nutrien’s significant enterprise-wide risks are then presented to the Board at least annually.

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   43


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      
       
       
               
       

05  Key enterprise risks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

44  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

       
Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company      
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks    
  Results      
       
       
               
       
 

 

Texas, US

 

Last year, the US was the world’s leading exporter of cotton, exporting 2.8 million tonnes. Under our Dyna-Gro brand, Nutrien sells proprietary cotton seed across North America. Our global proprietary seed revenue has grown by over 25 percent since 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  45


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Key enterprise risks    
       
       
               

 

Key enterprise risks

Nutrien characterizes a key risk as a risk or combination of risks that could threaten the achievement of our vision, our business model, future financial performance or ability to deliver on our strategy. Our key enterprise risks are discussed below and while these represent our significant risks, we also continue to be exposed to other important general business, operational and climate-related risks. For a more detailed discussion of these key risks and other risks that may affect us, refer to Nutrien’s 2023 Annual Information Form.

 

 
 1  |  Competition and shifting market fundamentals
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Global macroeconomic conditions and shifting market fundamentals – including trade tariffs and trade restrictions, volatility in global markets, supply chain constraints, increased price competition and/or new entrants, geopolitical conditions, and/or a significant change in agriculture production or consumption trends – could lead to a sustained environment of reduced demand for our products and/or low or volatile commodity prices and negatively impact our short- and long-term profitability.

         Our global footprint, integrated business, and portfolio of products, services and solutions are designed to enable us to respond to changing economic conditions. We have a favorable cost-structure and the flexibility to make operational changes across our portfolio in order to minimize the impact of changing market dynamics. We prioritize maintaining a strong balance sheet and focus on initiatives that strengthen the advantages of our integrated business, drive operational efficiencies and increase free cash flow.
      
 
 2  |  Agricultural changes and trends
      

Description

         Risk management approach

The following agriculture-related factors, among others, could impact our strategy, demand for our products and/or services and/or financial performance: farm and industry consolidation; shifting grower demographics; agriculture productivity and development; changes in consumer preferences; increasing focus on sustainability in agriculture (including soil health, availability of arable land, diminishing biodiversity and water management); and technological innovation and digital business models.

        

Our global footprint, integrated business and diversified portfolio are designed to adapt to changes in the agriculture industry and help position us to drive long-term value creation and provide whole-acre solutions for growers. We are focused on optimizing our Retail business, digital innovation, growth in core markets and continued development of scalable sustainability programming.

 

See page 28 of this report for more information on our strategic priorities.

      
 
 3  |  Changing regulations
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Changing laws, regulations and government policies – including those relating to the environment and climate change, including regulation of GHG emissions, as well as health and safety laws or regulations, taxes and royalties – could affect our ability to produce or sell certain products, reduce our efficiency and competitive advantage, increase our costs of raw materials, energy, transportation and compliance, or require us to make capital improvements to our operations – all of which could impact our strategy, operations, financial performance or reputation.

        

Our Government & Industry Affairs Team has an active engagement strategy with governments and regulators, including participation in industry associations. This allows us to keep current on regulatory developments affecting our business or industry, allowing us to anticipate new or changing laws and regulations and put us in the best position for success while leveraging our industry association allies.

 

We also have initiatives and commitments supporting product stewardship, and environment and climate action as part of our Feeding the Future Plan, to assist in managing the impact of potential regulatory changes.

 

 

 

 

 

46   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Key enterprise risks    
       
       
       

 

 

 

 4  |  Climate change

      

Description

         Risk management approach

Climate change may cause or result in, among other things, more frequent and severe weather events, diminishing biodiversity, impacts to growing seasons or crop yields, and changing weather factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind and water levels, and affect freshwater availability. Physical risks from climate change may also result in operational or supply chain disruptions, depending on the nature of the event.

 

Impacts from transition risks could include, but are not limited to, policy constraints on emissions, carbon pricing mechanisms, water restrictions, land use restrictions or incentives, changing consumer preferences, and market demand and supply shifts. We are also subject to reputational risks associated with climate change, including our stakeholders’ perception of the agriculture industry and our role in the transition to a lower-carbon economy. These and other factors resulting from climate change could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        

Our capital allocation framework and preventive maintenance programs help support the long-term reliability and efficiency of our assets. Additionally, our geographically diversified network of facilities and operations helps to minimize the overall impact of physical risk from climate change on our company.

 

For more information refer to page 7 of this report for our sustainability highlights and our most recent Global Sustainability Report on our website at nutrien.com, which is expected to be released in March 2024.

      
 
 5  |  Cybersecurity threats
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Cyberattacks, ransomware events, power outages, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, military conflicts, local epidemics or pandemics, other events, and breaches or exposure to potential computer viruses of our systems, third-party service providers’ systems, or cloud-based platforms could lead to disruptions to our operations, loss of data or the unintended disclosure of confidential information and/or personally identifiable information or property damage. Any of these could result in business disruptions, increased defense costs, reputational damage, personal injury or third-party claims, impacting our operations, financial performance or reputation.

        

Our Global Information Management and Cyber-Security Team is supported by third-party specialists, oversees our network security and may assist in incident response.

 

We promote a strong culture of cybersecurity awareness to minimize threats and vulnerabilities, which is supported by our cybersecurity framework, policies and best practices.

 

Threat and risk assessments are completed for all new information technology systems, and our cybersecurity incident response processes are backstopped by external response measures. We also conduct regular simulated phishing and targeted cybersecurity training as well as incident response training.

 

For more information refer to our most recent Global Sustainability Report on our website at nutrien.com, which is expected to be released in March 2024.

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   47


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Key enterprise risks    
       
       
       

 

 

 

 6  |  Political, economic and social instability

      

Description

         Risk management approach

Political, economic and social instability may affect our business including, for instance, if any of the jurisdictions in which we operate or do business introduce restrictions on monetary distributions, labor disruptions, competitive restrictions, forced divestitures or changes to or nullification of existing agreements, mining permits or leases, or the imposition of tariffs, exchange controls, international trade restrictions, embargoes, barriers or other restrictions. Instability in political or regulatory regimes could also affect our ability to do business and could impact our sales and operating results, our reputation or the value of our assets.

         Our Government & Industry Affairs Team has an active engagement strategy with governments, regulators and other stakeholders in the countries where we operate or plan to operate. We assess capital investments and project decisions against political, country and other related risk factors and avoid or reduce our exposure to jurisdictions with unacceptable risk levels. Dedicated teams regularly monitor developments and global trends that may impact us.
      
 
 7  |  Talent and organization culture
      

Description

         Risk management approach

An inability to attract and retain qualified top talent, including for skillsets that are in high demand, could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to provide the necessary organizational structure, programs and culture to engage and develop our employees, including providing a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace, could impact our ability to achieve our growth objectives or expected business results.

         Our Talent Attraction and Sourcing Team focuses on building a diverse, inclusive and talented workforce. We are committed to the career development of our employees and building a culture grounded in our organizational purpose and the values of safety, inclusion, integrity and results. Our talent succession process focuses on identifying and managing critical roles and the proactive build-up of internal and external bench strength. Our incentive programs are competitive, performance-based and support our purpose-driven culture.
      
 
 8  |  Stakeholder support
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Our stakeholders may not support our business plans, structure, strategy, sustainability initiatives, or climate commitments and social responsibilities. Our inability to meet our sustainability and climate-related commitments and targets may also have an adverse effect on our stakeholder support, among others. Loss of stakeholder confidence could impair our ability to execute our business plans, negatively impact our ability to produce or sell our products, and may lead to reputational damage, increased costs, financial losses, securityholder action or negatively impact our access to or cost of capital.

 

         Our Investor Relations and Stakeholder Relations teams monitor and regularly engage with our stakeholders to identify their key issues and communicate the long- term value opportunities associated with our business. We also have an active Community Relations Team and community investment programs. Our Strategies and Feeding the Future Plan are structured to help support what matters most to our stakeholders.

 

 

 

48   Nutrien Annual Report 2023


       
Overview  

MD&A

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Key enterprise risks    
       
       
       

 

 

 

 9  |  Supply chains

      

Description

         Risk management approach

Supply chain disruptions could result in difficulties supplying materials to our facilities and/or impair our ability (or the ability of the third parties upon which we rely) to deliver products to our customers in a timely manner. If certain key raw materials, parts and/or supplies used in our operations are not available, our business could be disrupted. Ongoing geopolitical conflicts, regulatory instability and changes to tariffs, epidemics, pandemics, or other such crises have created and could still create supply chain challenges and disruptions, and/or limit our ability to timely sell or distribute our products in the future, any of which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and operating results.

         Our integrated business provides us the flexibility to optimize operations, transportation and logistics, or increase supply chain efficiencies to adapt to potential disruption. We regularly review our suppliers to ensure we can maintain critical feedstocks and can leverage our diverse retail distribution network and expansive fertilizer terminal and transportation network to effectively manage product logistical challenges.
      
 
 10  |  Capital redeployment
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Our inability to deploy capital to efficiently achieve sustained growth, effectively execute on opportunities or meet investor preferences – whether due to market conditions, lack of options or otherwise, or deploying capital in a manner inconsistent with our strategic priorities – could impact our returns, operations, reputation, access to or cost of capital, or potential impairment charges related to the goodwill or intangible assets.

        

We continue to focus on creating long-term value through a balanced and disciplined approach to capital allocation. We prioritize maintaining safe and reliable operations, a healthy balance sheet, investing in our business and providing strong returns to shareholders.

 

See page 35 of this report for more information on our capital allocation priorities and key actions during the year.

      
 
 11  |  Safety, health and environment
      

Description

         Risk management approach

Our operations are subject to safety, health and environmental risks inherent in mining, manufacturing, transportation, storage and distribution of our products. These factors could result in injuries or fatalities, or impact air quality, biodiversity, water resources or related ecosystems near our operations, impacting our operations, financial performance or reputation.

        

Our safety strategy and governance processes ensure we follow all regulatory, industry and internal standards of safety, health and environmental responsibility that involve independent audits and assessments. We have structured incident prevention and response systems in place and conduct regular security vulnerability assessments. We have crisis communication protocols and emergency response programs across our business and maintain environmental monitoring and control systems, including third-party reviews of key containment structures.

 

For more information refer to our most recent Global Sustainability Report on our website at nutrien.com, which is expected to be released in March 2024.

 

 

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023   49


LOGO

 

Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
  Operating environment    
  Strategy    
  Governance    
  Key enterprise risks    
  Results    

 

06  Results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50  

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 


LOGO

 

  

       
Overview  

MD&A

                    

  Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
  Our company    
  Operating environment    
  Strategy      
  Governance      
  Key enterprise risks      
  Results      
       

California, US

 

The US is the world’s second largest producer of lettuce. Nutrien’s network of ~1,200 selling locations in the US serves growers needs including specialty crops like lettuce and other fruits and vegetables.

 

 

•  Adjusted EBITDA is the primary profit measure used to evaluate the segments’ performance as it excludes the impact of non-cash impairments and impairment reversals and other costs that are centrally managed by our corporate function. Refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

 

•  Net sales (sales less freight, transportation and distribution expenses) is the primary revenue measure used in planning and forecasting in the Potash, Nitrogen and Phosphate operating segments.

 

 

Nutrien Annual Report 2023

 

 

  51


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO    2023 Nutrien Ag Solutions (“Retail”)
   financial performance

Our Retail business generated adjusted EBITDA of $1.5 billion, lower than the record levels of the prior year primarily due to lower gross margin for both crop nutrients and crop protection products. Margins were pressured as crop input prices softened and higher cost inventory moved through the channel. Crop nutrients sales volumes increased by over 1 million tonnes as growers worked to replenish nutrients in the soil. As the year progressed, crop input margins in North America normalized and customers returned to more normal buying behaviors.

In Brazil, we saw continued margin compression due to decreased prices for certain crop protection products and the selling through of high cost inventory. Included with expenses for the full year of 2023, we recognized a $465 million non-cash impairment primarily to goodwill relating to our Retail – South America assets, mainly due to the impact of crop input price volatility, more moderate long-term growth assumptions and higher interest rates. We believe the long-term prospects for agriculture in Brazil are strong and it remains an important crop input market for Nutrien. In the near-term, we are focused on integration of our recent acquisitions and optimization of our cost structure in this region.

 

  

 

   Dollars     Gross margin      Gross margin (%)  

(millions of US dollars, except

as otherwise noted)

   2023      2022    

%

Change

    2023      2022    

%

Change

     2023     2022  

Sales

                         

Crop nutrients

     8,379        10,060       (17       1,378        1,766       (22      16       18  

Crop protection products

     6,750        7,067       (4     1,553        1,936       (20      23       27  

Seed

     2,295        2,112       9       427        428              19       20  

Merchandise

     1,001        1,019       (2     172        174       (1      17       17  

Nutrien Financial

     322        267       21       322        267       21        100       100  

Services and other

     927        966       (4     710        749       (5      77       78  

Nutrien Financial elimination 1

     (132      (141     (6     (132      (141     (6      100       100  
      19,542        21,350       (8     4,430        5,179       (14      23       24  

Cost of goods sold

     15,112        16,171       (7    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Gross margin

     4,430        5,179       (14            

Expenses 2,3

     4,215        3,621       16    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings before finance
costs and taxes (“EBIT”)

     215        1,558       (86            

Depreciation and amortization

     759        752       1    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA

     974        2,310       (58            

Adjustments 3

     485        (17     n/m    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

     1,459        2,293       (36    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Represents elimination of the interest and service fees charged by Nutrien Financial to Retail branches.

2

Includes selling expenses of $3,375 million (2022 – $3,392 million).

3

Includes non-cash impairment of assets of $465 million (2022 – nil). See Notes 3 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements.

 

LOGO

 

52   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

The most significant contributors to the changes in our Retail financial performance were as follows:

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022

Crop nutrients

  Sales and gross margin decreased in 2023 due to lower selling prices across all regions compared to the strong comparable period in 2022. Sales volumes increased in 2023 as growers returned to more normalized application rates to replenish nutrients in the soil. Sales and gross margin of our proprietary nutritional and biostimulant product lines increased compared to 2022 levels as we continued to expand our differentiated product offering and manufacturing capacity.

Crop protection products

  Sales and gross margin were lower primarily due to decreased selling prices compared to the historically strong comparable period in 2022. This was partially offset by higher fourth quarter sales in North America as growers returned to more normalized buying behaviors. Gross margin in 2023 was also impacted by the selling through of high-cost inventory.

Seed

  Sales increased in 2023 primarily due to increased corn sales in the US, while gross margin saw little change compared to 2022.

Nutrien Financial

  Sales increased in 2023 due to higher utilization of our financing offerings in the US and Australia compared to 2022.

Services and other

  Sales and gross margin decreased in 2023 mainly due to lower livestock selling prices and volumes in Australia.

Expenses

  In 2023, we recognized a $465 million non-cash impairment primarily to goodwill related to our Retail – South America assets, mainly due to the impact of crop input price volatility, more moderate long-term growth assumptions and higher interest rates. Selling expenses as a percentage of sales were higher in 2023 primarily due to lower selling prices compared to the strong comparable period in 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA

  Adjusted EBITDA decreased in 2023 primarily due to lower gross margins for crop nutrients and crop protection products.

 

LOGO

Selected Retail measures

 

 
  

 

      2023         2022  

Proprietary products gross margin (millions of US dollars)

           

Crop nutrients

       391          370  

Crop protection products

       461          675  

Seed

       168          166  

Merchandise

       11          12  

All products

            1,031              1,223  

Proprietary products margin as a percentage of product line margin (%)

           

Crop nutrients

       28          21  

Crop protection products

       30          35  

Seed

       39          39  

Merchandise

       6          7  

All products

       23          24  

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   53


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

 
  

 

      2023         2022  

Crop nutrients sales volumes (tonnes – thousands)

           

North America

            8,985              8,106  

International

       3,647          3,407  

Total

       12,632          11,513  

Crop nutrients selling price per tonne

           

North America

       697          916  

International

       581          774  

Total

       663          874  

Crop nutrients gross margin per tonne

           

North America

       127          182  

International

       65          86  

Total

       109          153  
 
Financial performance measures       2023        2022  

Retail adjusted EBITDA margin (%) 1

       7          11  

Retail adjusted EBITDA per US selling location (thousands of US dollars) 1,2

       1,394          1,923  

Retail adjusted average working capital to sales (%) 3

       19          17  

Retail adjusted average working capital to sales excluding Nutrien Financial (%) 3

       1          2  

Nutrien Financial adjusted net interest margin (%) 3

       5.2          6.8  

Retail cash operating coverage ratio (%) 3

       68          55  

 

1

These are supplementary financial measures. See the “Other Financial Measures” section.

2

Excluding acquisitions.

3

These are non-GAAP financial measures. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section.

Nutrien Financial

We offer flexible financing solutions to our customers in support of Nutrien’s agricultural product and service sales. Qualifying Retail customers in the US and Australia are offered extended payment terms, typically up to one year, to facilitate the alignment of grower crop cycles with cash flows. Nutrien Financial revenues are primarily earned through interest and service fees that are charged to our Retail branches.

We hold a significant portion of receivables from customers that have historically experienced a low-default rate. We manage our credit portfolio based on a combination of review of customer credit metrics, past experience with the customer and exposure to any single customer. Nutrien Financial, which is our wholly owned finance captive, monitors and services the portfolio of our high-quality receivables from customers that have the lowest risk of default among Retail’s receivables from customers. We monitor the results of this portfolio of receivables separately because we calculate the cost of capital attributable to the high-quality receivables from customers differently from our other receivables. Specifically, we assume a debt-to-equity ratio of 7:1 in funding Nutrien Financial receivables, based on the underlying credit quality of the assets.

Nutrien Financial relies on corporate capital for funding. For 2023, we estimated the deemed interest expense using an average borrowing rate of 4.1 percent (2022 - 1.4 percent) applied to the notional debt required to fund the portfolio of receivables from customers monitored and serviced by Nutrien Financial. The balance of our Retail receivables (outside of Nutrien Financial) is subject to marginally higher credit risk.

 

  

 

  As at December 31  
               
(millions of US dollars)   Current     <31 Days
past due
    31–90 Days
past due
    >90 Days
past due
    Gross
receivables
    Allowance 1      2023 Net
 receivables
     2022 Net
 receivables
 

North America

    1,736       327       89       94       2,246       (40      2,206        2,007  

International

    560       56       22       59       697       (10      687        662  
 

Nutrien Financial receivables 2

    2,296       383       111       153       2,943       (50      2,893        2,669  

 

1

Bad debt expense on the above receivables for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 was $35 million (2022 – $10 million) in the Retail segment.

2

Gross receivables include $2,578 million (2022 – $2,260 million) of very low risk of default and $365 million (2022 – $445 million) of low risk of default.

 

54   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO    2023 Potash financial performance

Our Potash business delivered adjusted EBITDA of $2.4 billion as lower net realized selling prices more than offset higher North American sales volumes and lower provincial mining taxes and royalties. Potash sales volumes in North America increased due to lower channel inventory and increased grower demand supported by an extended fall application season and improved affordability. Offshore sales volumes were lower compared to last year’s record levels primarily due to logistical challenges at Canpotex’s West Coast port facilities and reduced shipments to customers in India and Southeast Asia.

 

  

 

   Dollars     Tonnes (thousands)      Average per tonne  

(millions of US dollars, except

as otherwise noted)

   2023      2022      %
Change
    2023      2022      %
Change
     2023      2022      %
Change
 

Manufactured product

                               

Net sales

                               

North America

     1,683        2,485        (32     4,843        3,729        30        348        667        (48

Offshore

     2,076        5,414        (62     8,373        8,808        (5      248        615        (60
     3,759        7,899        (52     13,216        12,537        5        284        630        (55

Cost of goods sold

     1,396        1,400             

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     105        112        (6

Gross margin – total

     2,363        6,499        (64              179        518        (65

Expenses 1

     422        1,173        (64     Depreciation and amortization        35        35         

EBIT

Depreciation and amortization

    
1,941
463
 
 
    
5,326
443
 
 
    

(64

5


  

   

Gross margin excluding
depreciation and amortization
–manufactured 2

 
 
 
     214        553        (61

EBITDA/Adjusted EBITDA

     2,404        5,769        (58    

Potash controllable cash cost
of product manufactured 2

 
 
     58        58         

 

1

Includes provincial mining taxes of $398 million (2022 – $1,149 million).

2

These are non-GAAP financial measures. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section.

 

 

The most significant contributors to the changes in our Potash financial performance were as follows:

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022

Sales volumes

  Overall sales volumes were higher in 2023. North America sales volumes increased in 2023 due to lower channel inventory and increased grower demand supported by an extended fall application season and improved affordability. Offshore sales volumes were lower in 2023 compared to record levels in 2022 primarily due to logistical challenges at Canpotex’s West Coast port facilities and reduced shipments to customers in India and Southeast Asia.

Net realized selling price

  Average net realized selling prices decreased in 2023 compared to the historically strong prices in 2022 due to a decline in benchmark prices and higher costs related to logistical challenges at Canpotex’s West Coast port facilities.

Cost of goods sold per tonne

 

Costs decreased in 2023 mainly due to lower royalties resulting from decreased net realized selling prices.

Potash controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne was consistent with 2022.

Expenses

  Expenses decreased in 2023 primarily due to lower provincial mining taxes from lower average potash selling prices, which are the basis for certain taxes. We are subject to Saskatchewan provincial resource taxes, including the potash production tax and the resource surcharge.

Adjusted EBITDA

  Adjusted EBITDA decreased in 2023 due to lower net realized selling prices, which more than offset higher North American sales volumes and lower provincial mining taxes and royalties.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   55


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Canpotex sales by market

 

 
(percentage of sales volumes, except as otherwise noted)       2023         2022           Change  

Latin America

                47                    34          13  

Other Asian markets 1

       28          34          (6

Other markets

       11          10          1  

China

       9          14          (5

India

       5          8          (3

 

1

All Asian markets except China and India.

 

LOGO

Potash production

 

 

 

      

 

       Operational capability 2        Production  
     
(million tonnes KCI)      Nameplate
capacity 1
       2024        2023        2023        2022  

Rocanville Potash

       6.5          5.1          5.2          4.97          4.89  

Allan Potash

       4.0          2.4          3.0          2.39          2.50  

Lanigan Potash

       3.8          3.0          3.1          2.89          2.46  

Vanscoy Potash

       3.0          1.1          1.4          1.05          1.01  

Cory Potash

       3.0          2.1          2.2          1.50          1.89  

Patience Lake Potash

       0.3          0.3          0.3          0.20          0.26  

Total

       20.6          14.0          15.2          13.00          13.01  

Shutdown weeks 3

      

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

       5          18  

 

1

Represents estimates of capacity as at December 31, 2023. Estimates based on capacity as per design specifications or Canpotex entitlements once determined. In the case of Patience Lake, estimate reflects current operational capability. Estimates for all other facilities do not necessarily represent operational capability.

2

Estimated annual achievable production based on expected staffing and operational readiness (estimated at the beginning of the year, and may vary during the year, and year-to-year, including between our facilities). Estimate does not include inventory-related shutdowns and unplanned downtime.

3

Represents weeks of full production shutdown, excluding the impact of any periods of reduced operating rates and planned routine annual maintenance shutdowns and announced workforce reductions.

 

56   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO    2023 Nitrogen financial performance

We generated adjusted EBITDA of $1.9 billion for our Nitrogen business, below the record levels of the prior year due to lower net realized selling prices for all major nitrogen products, which more than offset lower natural gas costs and higher sales volumes. Our increased sales volumes were primarily due to higher UAN production and sales, partially offset by lower ammonia availability mainly due to production outages at our plants in Trinidad. We recognized a $76 million non-cash impairment of our Trinidad property, plant and equipment due to a new natural gas contract and the resulting outlook for higher expected natural gas costs and constrained near-term availability. We expect improved natural gas availability in Trinidad as the development of additional gas fields is anticipated to add new supply starting in 2026.

 

  

 

   Dollars     Tonnes (thousands)      Average per tonne  

(millions of US dollars, except

as otherwise noted)

   2023      2022     %
Change
    2023      2022     %
Change
     2023     2022     %
Change
 

Manufactured product

                           

Net sales

                           

Ammonia

     1,144        2,641       (57     2,436        2,715       (10      469       973       (52

Urea and ESN® 1

     1,499        2,134       (30     3,125        3,014       4        480       708       (32

Solutions, nitrates and sulfates

     1,187        1,829       (35     4,862        4,551       7        244       402       (39
     3,830        6,604       (42     10,423        10,280       1        367       642       (43

Cost of goods sold 1

     2,435        3,370       (28    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

     233       327       (29

Gross margin – manufactured

     1,395        3,234       (57              134        315       (57 )  

Gross margin – other 1, 2

     (16      47       n/m       Depreciation and amortization        55       54       2  

Gross margin – total

Expenses (income) 3,4

    

1,379

97

 

 

    

3,281

(92

 

   

(58

n/m


 

   

Gross margin excluding
depreciation and amortization
– manufactured 5

 
 
 
  

 

189

 

 

 

369

 

 

 

(49

EBIT

     1,282        3,373       (62    

Ammonia controllable cash
cost of product manufactured 5

 
 
  

 

60

 

 

 

59

 

 

 

2

 

Depreciation and amortization

     572        558       3  

EBITDA/Adjusted EBITDA

     1,854        3,931       (53              

Adjustments 4

     76              n/m    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

      1,930        3,931       (51    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Certain immaterial 2022 figures have been reclassified.

2

Includes other nitrogen and purchased products and comprises net sales of $377 million (2022 – $929 million) less cost of goods sold of $393 million (2022 –$882 million).

3

Includes earnings from equity-accounted investees of $90 million (2022 – $233 million).

4

Includes non-cash impairment of assets of $76 million (2022 – nil). See Notes 3 and 13 to the consolidated financial statements.

5

These are non-GAAP financial measures. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   57


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

The most significant contributors to the changes in our Nitrogen financial performance were as follows:

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022

Sales volumes

  Sales volumes were higher in 2023 primarily due to higher UAN production and sales, partially offset by lower ammonia availability mainly due to production outages at our plants in Trinidad.

Net realized selling price

  Net realized selling price was lower in 2023 for all major nitrogen products primarily due to weaker benchmark prices resulting from lower energy prices in key nitrogen producing regions.

Cost of goods sold per tonne

 

Costs decreased in 2023 primarily due to lower natural gas costs. Raw materials and other input costs were also lower in 2023 compared to 2022 due to lower benchmark prices.

 

Ammonia controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne increased mainly due to the impact of lower ammonia production.

Expenses (income)

 

We recognized a $76 million non-cash impairment of our Trinidad property, plant and equipment due to a new natural gas contract and the resulting outlook for higher expected natural gas costs and constrained near-term availability. We expect improved natural gas availability in Trinidad as the development of additional gas fields is anticipated to add new supply starting in 2026. There was no comparable expense in 2022.

 

Other expenses (income) also increased in 2023 mainly due to lower earnings from our equity-accounted investment in Profertil. Profertil’s earnings were lower mainly due to lower urea net selling prices from lower benchmark prices.

Adjusted EBITDA

  Adjusted EBITDA was lower in 2023 primarily due to lower net realized selling prices for all major nitrogen products, which more than offset lower natural gas costs and higher sales volumes.

Natural gas prices in cost of production

 

(US dollars per MMBtu, except as otherwise noted)       2023         2022        %
   Change
 

Overall natural gas cost excluding realized derivative impact

              3.51                  7.82          (55

Realized derivative impact

       (0.02        (0.05        (60

Overall natural gas cost

       3.49          7.77          (55

Average NYMEX

       2.74          6.64          (59

Average AECO

       2.17          4.28          (49

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022

Overall natural gas
cost

 

Natural gas prices in our cost of production decreased in 2023 as a result of lower North American natural

gas index prices and decreased natural gas costs in Trinidad, where our natural gas prices are linked to ammonia benchmark prices.

Selected Nitrogen measures

 

 
  

 

      2023         2022  

Sales volumes (tonnes – thousands)

           

Fertilizer 1

            6,067              5,628  

Industrial and feed

       4,356          4,652  

Net sales (millions of US dollars)

           

Fertilizer 1

       2,450          3,726  

Industrial and feed

       1,380          2,878  

Net selling price per tonne

           

Fertilizer 1

       404          662  

Industrial and feed

       317          619  

 

1

Certain immaterial 2022 figures have been reclassified.

 

58   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO

Nitrogen production

 

 

 

     Ammonia 1        Urea 2  
(million tonnes product, except as otherwise noted)     

Annual

capacity 3

       Production       

Annual

capacity 3

       Production  
     2023        2022        2023        2022  

Trinidad Nitrogen 4

       2.2          1.11          1.46          0.7          0.32          0.42  

Redwater Nitrogen

       0.9          0.89          0.78          0.7          0.76          0.55  

Augusta Nitrogen

       0.8          0.74          0.59          0.7          0.56          0.40  

Lima Nitrogen

       0.7          0.68          0.71          0.5          0.51          0.50  

Geismar Nitrogen

       0.5          0.43          0.58          0.4          0.30          0.37  

Carseland Nitrogen

       0.5          0.53          0.39          0.7          0.75          0.50  

Fort Saskatchewan Nitrogen

       0.5          0.39          0.47          0.4          0.35          0.44  

Borger Nitrogen

       0.5          0.24          0.41          0.6          0.31          0.49  

Joffre Nitrogen

       0.5          0.34          0.37                             

Total

       7.1          5.35          5.76          4.7          3.86          3.67  

Adjusted total 5

      

 

 

 

 

 

       3.90          3.93       

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ammonia operating rate 5 (%)

      

 

 

 

 

 

       88          90         

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

All figures are shown on a gross production basis.

2

Reflects capacity and production of urea liquor prior to final product upgrade. Urea liquor is used in the production of solid urea, UAN and DEF.

3

Annual capacity estimates include allowances for normal operating plant conditions.

4

In 2022 and 2023, Trinidad production was restricted due to natural gas curtailments, which are expected to extend into 2024.

5

Excludes Trinidad and Joffre.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   59


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO      2023 Phosphate financial
     performance

Our Phosphate business earned adjusted EBITDA of $470 million, lower compared to the prior year mainly due to lower net realized selling prices for fertilizer products, partially offset by lower ammonia and sulfur input costs. Our sales volumes increased primarily due to higher phosphate fertilizer demand, partially offset by lower first-half production impacting our industrial and feed sales. Our production was higher for the full year largely due to improved reliability at our Aurora plant. Included in the expenses for the full year of 2023, we recognized a $233 million non-cash impairment of our White Springs property, plant and equipment, while we had non-cash impairment reversals of our Phosphate assets of $780 million for the full year of 2022.

 

  

 

   Dollars     Tonnes (thousands)      Average per tonne   

(millions of US dollars, except

as otherwise noted)

   2023      2022     %
Change
    2023      2022     %
Change
     2023     2022     %
Change
 

Manufactured product

                           

Net sales

                           

Fertilizer

     1,085        1,367       (21     1,912        1,696       13        568       806       (30

Industrial and feed

     645        706       (9     639        682       (6      1,010       1,035       (2
     1,730        2,073       (17     2,551        2,378       7        678       872       (22

Cost of goods sold

     1,487        1,562       (5    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

     583       657       (11

Gross margin – manufactured

     243        511       (52             95       215       (56

Gross margin – other 1

     (10      (18     (44     Depreciation and amortization        115       79       46  

Gross margin – total

Expenses (income)

    

233

290

 

 

    

493

(693

 

   

(53

n/m


 

   

Gross margin excluding
depreciation and amortization
– manufactured 2

 
 
 
     210       294       (29

EBIT

     (57      1,186       n/m    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

     294        188       56  

EBITDA

     237        1,374       (83              

Adjustments 3

     233        (780     n/m    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

     470        594       (21    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Includes other phosphate and purchased products and comprises net sales of $263 million (2022 – $304 million) less cost of goods sold of $273 million (2022 – $322 million).

2

This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section.

3

Includes non-cash impairment of assets of $233 million (2022 – reversal of non-cash impairment of assets of $780 million). See Notes 3 and 13 to the consolidated financial statements.

 

 

The most significant contributors to the changes in our Phosphate financial performance were as follows:

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022

Sales volumes

  Sales volumes increased in 2023 mostly due to higher phosphate fertilizer demand, partially offset by lower first-half year production impacting our industrial and feed sales. Production increased in 2023 largely due to improved reliability at our Aurora plant.

Net realized selling price

  Net realized selling prices decreased in 2023 primarily due to lower fertilizer net realized selling prices and lower industrial and feed net realized selling prices, which reflect the typical lag in price realizations relative to spot fertilizer prices.

Cost of goods sold per tonne

  Costs decreased in 2023 mainly due to lower ammonia and sulfur input costs, partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization resulting from the reversal of non-cash impairment of assets in 2022 (see details below).

Expenses (income)

  In 2023, we recognized a $233 million non-cash impairment of our White Springs property, plant and equipment, while we had non-cash impairment reversals of our Phosphate assets of $780 million in 2022. The impairments and impairment reversals were due to changes in our forecasted global prices driven by the prevailing macroeconomic environment.

Adjusted EBITDA

  Adjusted EBITDA decreased in 2023 mainly due to lower net realized selling prices for fertilizer products, partially offset by lower ammonia and sulfur input costs.

 

60   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

LOGO

Phosphate production

 

 

 

  Phosphate rock     Phosphoric acid (P2O5)     Liquid products     Solid fertilizer products  

(million tonnes, except as

otherwise noted)

 

Annual

capacity

    Production    

Annual

capacity

    Production    

Annual

capacity

    Production    

Annual

capacity

    Production  
  2023     2022     2023     2022     2023     2022     2023     2022  

Aurora Phosphate

    5.4       4.24       3.43       1.2       1.00       0.93       2.7 1       2.13       1.87       0.8       0.77       0.68  

White Springs Phosphate

    2.0       1.27       1.42       0.5       0.40       0.42       0.7 2       0.33       0.39       0.8       0.33       0.30  

Total

    7.4       5.51       4.85       1.7       1.40       1.35       3.4        2.46       2.26       1.6       1.10       0.98  

P2O5 operating rate (%)

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

    83       79      

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

A substantial portion is consumed internally in the production of downstream products. The balance is exported to phosphate fertilizer producers or sold domestically to dealers who custom-mix liquid fertilizer. Capacity is composed of 2.0 million tonnes MGA and 0.7 million tonnes SPA.

2

Represents annual SPA capacity. A substantial portion is consumed internally in the production of downstream products. The balance is exported to phosphate fertilizer producers or sold domestically to dealers who custom-mix liquid fertilizer.

In addition to the production above, annual capacity (in millions of tonnes) for phosphate feed and purified acid was 0.7 and 0.3, respectively. Production in 2023 was 0.30 and 0.16, respectively, and 2022 production was 0.33 and 0.18, respectively.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   61


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

2023 Corporate and Others financial performance

“Corporate and Others” is a non-operating segment comprising corporate and administrative functions that provide support and governance to our operating segments.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)    2023     2022     % Change  

Selling expense (recovery)

           (1     n/m  

General and administrative expenses

     364       326       12  

Share-based compensation (recovery) expense

     (14     63       n/m  

Other expenses

     348       227       53  

EBIT

     (698     (615     13  

Depreciation and amortization

     81       71       14  

EBITDA

     (617     (544     13  

Adjustments 1

     350       146       140  

Adjusted EBITDA

     (267     (398     (33

 

1

See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

The most significant contributors to the changes in our Corporate and Others financial performance were as follows:

 

  

 

   2023 vs 2022

General and administrative expenses

   Increase in expenses was primarily due to higher staffing costs and higher depreciation and amortization expense.

Share-based compensation (recovery) expense

   Recovery in 2023 was due to decrease in the fair value of share-based awards outstanding relative to 2022. The fair value takes into consideration several factors such as our share price movement, our performance relative to our peer group and return on our invested capital.

Other expenses

   Increase in other expenses was mainly due to a $152 million higher expense related to asset retirement obligations and environmental costs resulting from changes in estimates related to our non-operating sites and a $92 million loss on Blue Chip Swaps incurred through trade transactions to remit cash from Argentina and higher foreign exchange losses in 2023. These expenses were partially offset by an $80 million gain in 2023 from amendments due to design plan changes to our other post-retirement benefit plans. Refer to Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements for details on the loss on Blue Chip Swaps.

Eliminations

Eliminations are not part of the Corporate and Others segment. Eliminations of sales between operating segments in 2023 were $1,650 million (2022 – $2,333 million) with a gross margin recovery of $69 million (2022 – $28 million elimination). These variances are due to lower intersegment selling prices and margins in 2023 as crop input prices decreased compared to the historical strong prices of 2022.

 

62   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Finance costs, income taxes and other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)    2023      2022      % Change  
Finance costs      793        563        41  
Income tax expense      670        2,559        (74
Other comprehensive income (loss)      81        (177      n/m  

The most significant contributors to the changes in our finance costs, income tax expense and other comprehensive income (loss) were as follows:

 

  

 

  2023 vs 2022     

 

       

 

 
Finance costs   Finance costs increased primarily due to higher interest rates and higher average long-term debt balances.

 

 

Weighted Average Debt Balances and Rates

(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)

    
 

 

 

 

2023

 

 

     2022  
  Short-term balance 1     3,988        3,975  
  Short-term rate (%) 1     6.1        3.0  
  Long-term balance (excluding lease obligations)     9,112        7,839  
  Long-term rate (excluding lease obligations) (%)     5.0        4.6  
  Lease obligations balance     1,200        1,209  

 

  Lease obligations rate (%)     4.0        2.9  
 

 

 

1  North American weighted average short-term debt balances were $3,306 million (2022 – $3,529 million) and rates were 5.6 percent (2022 – 2.6 percent).

  

Income tax expense   Income tax expense was lower in 2023 primarily as a result of lower earnings compared to 2022. The 2023 expense and effective tax rate reflect a $134 million income tax recovery due to changes to our tax declarations in Switzerland (“Swiss Tax Reform adjustment”, refer to Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information) and a $101 million income tax expense due to a change in recognition of deferred tax assets in our Retail – South America region. The 2023 effective tax rate also includes the impact of our losses in Retail – South America, wherein we did not recognize a corresponding deferred tax asset as it did not meet the accounting criteria for asset recognition.

 

 

Effective tax rates and discrete items

(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)

    
 

 

 

 

2023

 

 

     2022  
  Actual effective tax rate on earnings (%)     33        25  
  Actual effective tax rate including discrete items (%)     34        25  

 

  Discrete tax adjustments that impacted the rate     28        30  
   
Other comprehensive income (loss)   Other comprehensive income (loss) was primarily driven by changes in the currency translation of our Retail foreign operations primarily due to improvements of Canadian and Australian currencies relative to the US dollar in 2023. In 2023, we also recognized an actuarial gain on our defined benefit plans compared to a loss on the comparative period driven by changes in our financial and demographic assumptions and performance of our plan assets.

 

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   63


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Performance against 2023 targets

Executing on our financial and operating targets

In 2019, we set ambitious targets for 2023 focused on growing and improving the quality of our Retail earnings, increasing our potash and nitrogen volumes, and controlling our operating costs. These targets were designed to motivate our teams and align our strategies with our vision and values. We made progress towards achieving these targets during this period, however geopolitical events, supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures impacted our results in 2023. As we enter 2024, we remain focused on our core business, improving the quality of our earnings, investing in high-value strategic initiatives and fortifying our business for the future.

 

   
  

 

   2023 Target      2023 Actuals      2022 Actuals  

Nutrien Ag Solutions (“Retail”)

          

Total Retail adjusted EBITDA margin (%) 1

     >10.5        7.5        10.7  

US Retail adjusted EBITDA margin (%) 1, 2

        9.3        12.2  

Retail adjusted average working capital to sales (%) 3

     17        19        17  

Retail cash operating coverage ratio (%) 3

     60        68        55  

Retail adjusted EBITDA per US selling location (thousands of US dollars) 1,4

     >1,100        1,394        1,923  

Retail proprietary products as a % of total Retail margin

     29        23        24  

Potash and Nitrogen

          

Potash sales volumes (million tonnes)

     14.0-16.0        13.2        12.5  

Potash controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne (US dollars) 2, 3

        58        58  

Nitrogen sales volumes (million tonnes) 5

     10.8-11.4        10.4        10.3  

Ammonia operating rate (%) 6

     96        88        90  

Ammonia controllable cash cost of product manufactured per tonne (US dollars) 3

     42        60        59  

IFRS comparable information

          

Potash cost of goods sold (million US dollars) 2

        1,396        1,400  

Nitrogen manufactured cost of goods sold (million US dollars) 2

    

 

 

 

 

 

     2,435        3,370  

 

1

This is a supplementary financial measure. See the “Other Financial Measures” section.

2

No target was provided.

3

This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section.

4

Calculation is based on number of selling locations only, excluding acquisitions.

5

Includes manufactured product only. 2023 target includes ESN® products that prior to 2022 were included in the other category.

6

Operating rate represents production volumes divided by production capacity (excluding Joffre and Trinidad facilities).

 

64   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

2024 Guidance

We have revised our guidance practice in 2024 to provide forward looking estimates on those metrics that we believe are of value to our shareholders and are less impacted by fertilizer commodity prices. We continue to provide guidance for Retail adjusted EBITDA, fertilizer sales volumes and other key financial modeling metrics as well as fertilizer pricing sensitivities.

 

   
  

 

       

 

       2024 Guidance Ranges1 as of
February 21, 2024
         

 

         

 

 
     
(billions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)        

 

       Low          

 

       High          

 

       2023 Actual  

Retail adjusted EBITDA

            1.65               1.85               1.5  

Potash sales volumes (million tonnes) 2

            13.0               13.8               13.2  

Nitrogen sales volumes (million tonnes) 2

            10.6               11.2               10.4  

Phosphate sales volumes (million tonnes) 2

            2.6               2.8               2.6  

Depreciation and amortization

            2.2               2.3               2.2  

Finance costs

            0.75               0.85               0.8  

Effective tax rate on adjusted earnings (%)

            24.0               26.0               28.0  

Capital expenditures 3

      

 

 

 

 

 

       2.2         

 

 

 

 

 

       2.3         

 

 

 

 

 

       2.7  

 

1

See the “Forward-Looking Statements” section.

2

Manufactured product only.

3

Comprised of sustaining capital expenditures, investing capital expenditures and mine development and pre-stripping capital expenditures which are supplementary financial measures. See the “Other Financial Measures” section.

 

LOGO

 

 

2024 Sensitivities

 

 
2024 Annual Sensitivities 1      Effect on  
   
(millions of US dollars, except EPS amounts)      Adjusted EBITDA        Adjusted EPS4  

$25/tonne change in net realized potash selling prices

       ± 270          ± 0.40  

$25/tonne change in net realized ammonia selling prices 2

       ± 40          ± 0.05  

$25/tonne change in net realized urea and ESN® selling prices

       ± 80          ± 0.10  

$25/tonne change in net realized solutions, nitrates and sulfates selling prices

       ± 130          ± 0.20  

$1/MMBtu change in NYMEX natural gas price 3

       ± 190          ± 0.30  

 

1

See the “Forward-Looking Statements” section.

2

Includes related impact on natural gas costs in Trinidad, which is linked to benchmark ammonia pricing.

3

Nitrogen related impact.

4

Assumes 496 million shares outstanding for all earnings per share (“EPS”) sensitivities.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   65


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Annual financial information

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022        2021  

Sales

       29,056          37,884          27,712  

Net earnings

       1,282          7,687          3,179  

Basic net earnings per share (US dollars)

       2.53          14.22          5.53  

Diluted net earnings per share (US dollars)

       2.53          14.18          5.52  

Total assets

       52,749          54,586          49,954  

Total non-current financial liabilities

       9,912          8,939          8,455  

Dividends declared per share (US dollars)

       2.12          1.92          1.84  

 

  

 

   2023 vs 2022    2022 vs 2021

Sales

   Sales decreased primarily due to lower net realized selling prices compared to the historically strong prices in 2022, partially offset by higher sales volumes for crop nutrients, potash and nitrogen.    Sales increased primarily due to higher net realized selling prices from global supply uncertainties across our nutrient segments, partially offset by lower sales volumes. Strong Retail performance due to higher selling prices and increased sales of proprietary products, which more than offset a reduction in crop nutrients sales volumes from a delayed North American planting season and earlier engagement in the prior year in a rising price environment.

Net earnings
and earnings per
share

   Net earnings and earnings per share decreased primarily due to lower net realized selling prices across our nutrient segments due to a decline in benchmark prices. In 2023, we recorded $774 million non-cash impairments of our Retail – South America assets, Phosphate White Springs and Nitrogen Trinidad property, plant and equipment compared to non-cash impairment reversals of $780 million of Phosphate assets recorded in 2022.    Net earnings and earnings per share increased due to historically strong net realized selling prices across our nutrient segments and strong Retail performance supported by the strength of agriculture fundamentals. In 2022, we recorded non-cash impairment reversals of our Phosphate Aurora and White Springs property, plant and equipment.

Assets and
non-current financial
liabilities

  

Total assets decreased approximately 3 percent from 2022 primarily due to lower receivables and inventories as we collected and sold through our higher-valued receivables and inventories from historically strong prices in 2022 and $774 million of non-cash impairments (as described above). This is partially offset by higher capital spending on property, plant and equipment.

 

Non-current financial liabilities increased due to the higher long-term debt from the issuance of new senior notes.

  

Total assets increased approximately 10 percent from 2021. Our working capital assets increased from higher-valued receivables and inventories along with acquisition impacts. Property, plant and equipment increased primarily due to non-cash impairment reversals in the Phosphate segment.

 

Non-current financial liabilities increased due to the higher long-term debt from the issuance of new senior notes.

Dividends
declared per
share

   Dividends declared per share increased as we declared a quarterly dividend per share of $0.53 in 2023 compared to $0.48 in 2022.    Dividends declared per share increased as we declared a quarterly dividend per share of $0.48 in 2022 compared to $0.46 in 2021.

 

66   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Financial condition review

Balance sheet analysis

 

 

 

   As at       

 

      

 

 
 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)    December 31, 2023      December 31, 2022      $ Change      % Change  
Assets              
Receivables      5,398        6,194        (796      (13
Inventories      6,336        7,632        (1,296      (17
Property, plant and equipment      22,461        21,767        694        3  
Goodwill      12,114        12,368        (254      (2
Liabilities and equity              
Short-term debt      1,815        2,142        (327      (15
Payables and accrued charges      9,467        11,291        (1,824      (16
Long-term debt      8,913        8,040        873        11  
Share capital      13,838        14,172        (334      (2
Retained earnings      11,531        11,928        (397      (3

 

Assets          

Liabilities

Receivables decreased due to lower selling prices across all of our operating segments compared to a historically strong period in 2022. These were partially offset by a strategic extension of credit terms to our Retail customers resulting in increased usage of Nutrien Financial programs.

 

Inventories decreased across all operating segments as we sold through our higher-cost inventories on hand as related benchmark prices decreased and from lower input costs including royalties, natural gas and sulfur. In 2022, we also strategically procured certain products at larger quantities in anticipation of supply chain challenges.

 

Property, plant and equipment increased from capital expenditures related to our Potash and Nitrogen capital projects and turnarounds to maintain safe and reliable operations. This is partially offset by non-cash impairments on our Phosphate White Springs and Nitrogen Trinidad property, plant and equipment of $309 million.

 

Goodwill decreased due to the recognition of a non-cash impairment of $422 million related to our Retail - South America assets in 2023.

   

Short-term debt decreased due to lower drawdowns on our credit facilities based on our working capital requirements.

 

Payables and accrued charges decreased due to lower accrual of income tax in 2023 compared to 2022, when we had historically strong earnings. Certain costs including products for resale, natural gas and sulfur input costs, and expenses tied to selling prices, such as provincial mining taxes also decreased. Payables also decreased from lower customer prepayments as a result of the lower commodity price environment and lower accruals for payroll expenses.

 

Long-term debt increased due to the issuance of $1.5 billion of senior notes in 2023, which exceeded the repayment of $500 million in senior notes upon maturity in the same period.

   

Shareholders’ equity

         

Share capital decreased primarily from shares repurchased under our normal course issuer bid program.

 

Retained earnings decreased as dividends declared and share repurchases exceeded net earnings.

We do not hold material cash and cash equivalents in currencies other than the US dollar and Canadian dollar. As at December 31, 2023, we held approximately $243 million US dollar equivalent in other jurisdictions outside the US and Canada. We do not depend on repatriation of cash from our foreign subsidiaries to meet our liquidity and capital resource needs in North America.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   67


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Liquidity and capital resources

Sources and uses of liquidity

Liquidity risk arises from our general funding needs and in the management of our assets, liabilities and capital structure. We manage liquidity risk to maintain sufficient liquid financial resources to fund our financial position and meet our commitments and obligations in a cost-effective manner. Our 2023 significant liquidity sources are listed below along with our expected ongoing primary uses of liquidity:

 

Primary uses of liquidity    Primary sources of liquidity

–   inventory purchases and production

–   operational expenses

–   seasonal working capital requirements

–   capital expenditures to sustain and grow our safe, reliable and cost-efficient operations

–   business acquisitions

–   shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases

–   principal payments of debt securities

  

–   cash from operations (including customer prepayments)

–   commercial paper issuances

–   increase of credit facility limits and drawdowns

–   debt capital markets

We believe that our internally generated cash flow, supplemented by available borrowings under new or existing financing sources, if necessary, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated capital expenditures, planned growth and development activities, and other cash requirements for the foreseeable future. We do not reasonably expect any presently known trend or uncertainty to affect our ability to access our historical sources of liquidity.

Cash requirements

The following aggregated information about our contractual obligations and other commitments summarizes our liquidity and capital resource requirements as at December 31, 2023. Commitments reflect the estimated cash outflows for these obligations.

 

    

Consolidated
financial
statements note
reference

     Payments due by period  
(millions of US dollars)    Total     

Within 1

year

    

1 to 3

years

    

3 to 5

years

    

Over 5

years

 

Long-term debt

     Notes 18, 26        9,214        512        1,528        870        6,304  

Estimated interest payments on long-term debt

     Note 26        6,125        454        796        686        4,189  

Lease liabilities

     Notes 19, 26        1,326        327        427        189        383  

Estimated interest payments on lease liabilities

     Note 26        199        41        57        33        68  

Purchase commitments

     Note 26        1,350        938        249        57        106  

Capital commitments

     Note 26        172        153        19                

Other commitments

     Note 26        715        188        221        149        157  

Derivatives

     Note 10        16        16                       

Asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs

     Note 22        5,029        150        214        140        4,525  

Total

              24,146        2,779        3,511        2,124        15,732  

The information presented in the table above does not include planned (but not legally committed) capital expenditures, business acquisitions or shareholder returns including share repurchases and dividends.

 

68   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

We incurred $50 million of capital expenditures related to the completion of our GHG Phase 1 abatement program since 2021. We originally anticipated investing more than $500 million to achieve at least a 30 percent reduction in GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) per tonne of our products produced, from a baseline year of 2018, by 2030. We continue to evaluate our strategic emissions abatement projects, including for technical and economic feasibility, as well as estimates on our expected capital expenditures to achieve our 2030 emissions intensity reduction target.

For information on income taxes and pension and other post-retirement benefits funding, refer to Note 8 and Note 21, respectively, to the consolidated financial statements. Future cash requirements are subject to changes in regulations, actuarial assumptions and our expected operating results.

On February 21, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program of up to a maximum of 24,728,159, representing 5 percent of Nutrien’s outstanding common shares. The 2024 normal course issuer bid, which is subject to acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange, will commence on March 1, 2024. The share repurchase program will expire on the earlier of February 28, 2025, the date on which we have acquired the maximum number of common shares allowable or the date we determine not to make any further repurchases.

On February 21, 2024, our Board of Directors declared and increased our quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share payable on April 11, 2024, to shareholders of record on March 28, 2024. The total estimated dividend to be paid is $265 million.

Sources and uses of cash

 

     
Cash provided by operating activities   LOGO  

–   Lower cash provided by operating activities from lower net realized selling prices across all segments compared to the historically strong benchmark prices in 2022.

 
Cash used in investing activities   LOGO  

–   Higher cash used in investing activities due to higher turnaround activities and investing capital expenditures as we completed our committed projects prior to our strategic actions to reduce capital spending.

 
Cash used in financing activities  

LOGO

 

–   Lower cash used in financing activities due to decreased share repurchases in 2023. We also had lower proceeds from our short-term and long-term debt in 2023 compared to 2022 by $500 million.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   69


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Capital structure and management

We manage our capital structure with a focus on maintaining a strong balance sheet, enabling a strong investment-grade credit rating.

Principal debt instruments

We use a combination of cash provided by operating activities and short-term and long-term debt to finance our operations.

Senior notes and debentures

As at December 31, 2023, our long-term debt consisted primarily of senior notes and debentures with the following maturities and interest rates:

 

LOGO

 

    Twelve Months Ended
December 31
 
  

 

  Rate of interest (%)     Maturity        Amount  
Senior notes repaid 2023     1.9       May 13, 2023          500  
Senior notes issued 2023     4.9       March 27, 2028          750  
Senior notes issued 2023     5.8       March 27, 2053          750  
 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

       1,500  

The senior notes issued in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, are unsecured, rank equally with our existing unsecured debt, and have no sinking fund requirements prior to maturity. Each series is redeemable and has various provisions for redemption prior to maturity, at our option, at specified prices.

Credit facilities and other debt

 

We have several available credit facilities in the jurisdictions where we operate. We have a commercial paper program, which is limited to the undrawn amount under our $4,500 million unsecured revolving term credit facility and excess cash invested in highly liquid securities. As at December 31, 2023, we had a $1,175 million outstanding balance in commercial paper.

As at December 31, 2023, $252 million in letters of credit were outstanding and committed, with $203 million of remaining credit available under our dedicated letter of credit facilities.

LOGO

 

 

70   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Lease obligations

We also had lease obligations totaling $1,326 million (including current portion) with a weighted average effective interest rate of 4.3 percent as at December 31, 2023.

Debt covenants

Our credit facilities have financial tests and other covenants with which we must comply with at each quarter-end. Non-compliance with any such covenants could result in accelerated payment of amounts borrowed and termination of lenders’ further funding obligations under the credit facilities. We were in compliance with all such covenants as at December 31, 2023.

The table below summarizes the limit and result of our key financial covenant:

 

 
As at December 31      Limit        2023  
Debt to capital ratio 1         0.65 : 1.00           0.33 : 1.00  

 

1

Refer to Note 24 to the consolidated financial statements for the detailed calculation.

Credit ratings

Our ability to access reasonably priced debt in the capital markets depends, in part, on the quality of our credit ratings. We continue to maintain investment-grade credit ratings for our long-term debt. A downgrade of the credit rating of our long-term debt could increase the interest rates applicable to borrowings under our credit facilities.

Commercial paper markets are normally a source of same-day cash for us. Our access to the US commercial paper market primarily depends on maintaining our current short-term credit ratings as well as general conditions in the money markets.

 

       Long-term debt rating (outlook)        Short-term debt rating  
   
As at December 31      2023        2022        2023        2022  
Moody’s        Baa2 (stable)          Baa2 (stable)          P-2          P-2  
S&P        BBB (stable)          BBB (positive)          A-2          A-2  

A credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. Such ratings may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the respective credit rating agency and each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

S&P’s stable outlook on Nutrien’s credit ratings means that the ratings are not likely to change (generally up to two years).

Outstanding share data

 

  

 

     February 22, 2024  
Common shares        494,563,180  
Options to purchase common shares        3,214,971  

For more information on our capital structure and management, see Note 24 to the consolidated financial statements.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   71


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Other financial information

 

Nature of financial

information and

consolidated financial statements

note reference

 

Description

Off-balance sheet arrangements   Principal off-balance sheet activities primarily include:

 

(Notes 10, 11, 22, 27

and 29)

 

–   Agreement to reimburse losses of Canpotex.

–   Issuance of guarantee contracts.

–   An agency arrangement with a financial institution in relation to certain customer loans.

–   Certain non-financial derivatives that were entered into and continued to be held for the purpose of the receipt or delivery of a non-financial item, such as grain or natural gas, in accordance with expected purchase, sale or usage requirements. Other derivatives are included on our balance sheet at fair value.

 

We do not reasonably expect any presently known trend or uncertainty to affect our ability to continue using these arrangements, except as indicated above.

Related party transactions

 

(Note 28)

  Our most significant related party is Canpotex, which provides us with low-cost marketing and logistics for the offshore potash markets that we serve.

Financial instruments and other instruments

 

(Note 10)

  Our financial instruments are subject to various risks such as credit, liquidity and market risks. As discussed in the “Governance” section, our ELT is responsible for ensuring our principal risks, including financial risks, are being appropriately identified, assessed and addressed.

Critical accounting estimates

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS, which requires us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates in applying accounting policies. Critical accounting estimates are those which are highly uncertain at the time they are made or where different estimates would be reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We have discussed the development, selection and application of our key accounting policies, and the critical accounting estimates and assumptions they involve, with the Audit Committee of the Board.

 

72   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Refer to the notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on the following critical accounting estimates including methodology used for calculating our estimates (when applicable), key assumptions used, and factors considered in our estimates and judgments.

 

Consolidated
financial statements
note reference
   Critical accounting estimate description

Note 13 and Note 30

  

 

Long-lived asset impairments and reversals

 

We review, at each reporting period, for conditions to determine whether there is any indication that an impairment exists that could potentially impact the carrying amount of our long-lived assets to be held and used. When such indicators exist, impairment testing is performed. We review, at each reporting period, for possible reversal of the impairment for non-financial assets, other than goodwill.

 

In 2023, we identified an impairment trigger for our Phosphate cash generating units (“CGUs”), White Springs and Aurora, primarily as a result of the decrease in our forecasted phosphate margins. As a result of the impairment analysis, we recorded a non-cash impairment of property, plant and equipment amounting to $233 million at our White Springs CGU as the recoverable amount was less than its carrying value. The White Springs CGU has a shorter expected mine life and is therefore more sensitive to changes in short- and medium-term forecasted phosphate margins. We determined there was no impairment for our Aurora CGU.

 

The White Springs CGU and Aurora CGU had recoverable amounts of $504 million and $2,000 million, respectively. The following table highlights sensitivities to the recoverable amounts which could result in additional impairment losses or reversals of the previously recorded losses (relating to the White Springs CGU). The sensitivities have been calculated independently of changes in other key variables. Dollar amounts are in millions, except as otherwise noted.

 
                            Change to recoverable amount ($)  
 
                      

 

  Key assumptions as at June 30, 2023    Change in assumption       

 

     White Springs       

 

     Aurora  
       Long-term growth rate (%)      +/-1.0 percent                n/a                +/-110  
       Pre-tax discount rate (%)      +/-1.0 percent        -/+20        n/a  
       Post-tax discount rate (%)      +/-1.0 percent        n/a        -/+190  
 

 

  

 

 

Forecasted EBITDA over forecast period ($)

     +/-5.0 percent        +/-40        +/-220  
    

In 2023, we identified an impairment trigger for our Trinidad CGU, part of our Nitrogen segment, and recognized a $76 million non-cash impairment to property, plant and equipment, due to a new natural gas contract and the resulting outlook for higher expected natural gas costs and constrained near-term availability. We expect improved natural

gas availability in Trinidad as the development of additional natural gas fields is anticipated

to add new natural gas supply starting in 2026.

 

The Trinidad CGU had a recoverable amount of $676 million. The following table highlights sensitivities to the recoverable amount of our Trinidad CGU, which could result in additional impairment losses or reversals of the previously recorded losses. The sensitivities have been calculated independently of changes in other key variables. Dollar amounts are in millions, except as otherwise noted.

 
                      

 

  Key assumptions as at December 31, 2023      Change in assumption       

 

       Change to recoverable amount ($)  
       Long-term growth rate (%)        +/-1.0 percent                  +/-55  
       Post-tax discount rate (%)        +/-1.0 percent          -/+95  
 

 

    

 

 

Forecasted EBITDA over forecast period ($)       

       +/-5.0 percent          +/-100  

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   73


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Financial statement
reference
  Critical accounting estimate description

Note 14 and Note 30

 

 

Goodwill impairment indicators

 

We test our operating segments that have goodwill allocated to them when events or circumstances indicate that there could be an impairment, or at least annually on October 1. The key assumptions with the greatest influence on the calculation of the recoverable amounts are the discount rates, terminal growth rates and forecasted EBITDA. The key forecast assumptions were based on historical data and our estimates of future results from internal sources considering industry and market information. Key assumptions in our testing models may change, and changes that could reasonably be expected to occur may cause impairment. Such change in assumptions could be driven by global supply and demand, other market factors, changes in regulations, and other future events outside our control.

 
   

Recent acquisitions in Brazil resulted in goodwill being recognized for our Retail – South America group of CGUs. Goodwill is more susceptible to impairment risk if business operating results or economic conditions deteriorate and we anticipate not meeting our forecasts. In 2023, we revised our forecasted EBITDA for the Retail – South America group of CGUs, which triggered an impairment analysis. Due to the impact of crop input price volatility, more moderate long-term growth assumptions and higher interest rates, we lowered our product margin expectations and deferred certain of our planned strategic investments. As a result, this reduced our forecasted EBITDA and growth. As at June 30, 2023, the Retail – South America group of CGUs recoverable amount was lower than its carrying amount. As a result, we fully impaired goodwill of $422 million and recorded a $43 million impairment of intangible assets for a total of $465 million for the Retail – South America group of CGUs.

 
   

The following table highlights sensitivities to the recoverable amount which could have resulted in additional impairment against the carrying amount of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment. The sensitivities have been calculated independently of changes in other key variables. Dollar amounts are in millions, except as otherwise noted.

                     

 

  Key assumptions as at June 30, 2023      Change in key assumption        Decrease to
recoverable amount ($)
 
       Terminal growth rate (%)        -1.0 percent          50  
       Discount rate (%)        +1.0 percent          120  
 

 

  

 

  Forecasted EBITDA over forecast period ($)        -5.0 percent          100  
 
   

The Retail – North America group of CGUs has $6,981 million in associated goodwill and at the annual testing date of October 1, 2023, the recoverable amount did not substantially exceed its carrying amount. The Retail – North America group of CGUs recoverable amount exceeds its carrying amount by $570 million. The following table indicates the percentage by which key assumptions would need to change individually for the estimated recoverable amount to be equal to the carrying amount. Dollar amounts are in millions, except as otherwise noted.

 
                     

 

  2023 Annual impairment testing   Key assumption used
in impairment model
    Change required for carrying amount
to equal recoverable amount
 
       Terminal growth rate (%)     2.5       0.4 percent decrease  
       Discount rate (%)     8.6       0.2 percent increase   
 

 

    

 

 

Forecasted EBITDA over forecast period ($)

    8,040       3.0 percent decrease  

 

Note 22 and Note 30

 

 

Asset retirement obligations (“AROs”) and accrued environmental costs (“ERLs”) – measurement

 

AROs and ERLs have a high degree of estimation uncertainty for future costs and estimated remediation timelines. The Potash and Phosphate segments have AROs and ERLs associated with their mining operations while the Corporate and Others segment has these liabilities associated with non-operational mines.

 
   

For the Nitrogen segment, there are no significant AROs recorded as there is no reasonable basis for estimating a date or range of dates of cessation of operations. We considered the historical performance of our facilities as well as our planned maintenance, major upgrades and replacements, which can extend the useful lives of our facilities indefinitely.

 

74   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Quarterly results

 

    2023     2022  
   
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)   Q4     Q3     Q2     Q1     Q4     Q3     Q2     Q1  
Sales     5,664       5,631       11,654       6,107       7,533       8,188       14,506       7,657  
Net earnings     176       82       448       576       1,118       1,583       3,601       1,385  
Net earnings attributable to equity holders of Nutrien     172       75       440       571       1,112       1,577       3,593       1,378  

Net earnings per share attributable to equity holders of Nutrien

                 

Basic

    0.35       0.15       0.89       1.14       2.15       2.95       6.53       2.49  

Diluted

    0.35       0.15       0.89       1.14       2.15       2.94       6.51       2.49  

Seasonality in our business results from increased demand for products during planting season. Crop input sales are generally higher in spring and fall application seasons. Crop input inventories are normally accumulated leading up to each application season. The results of this seasonality have a corresponding effect on receivables from customers and rebates receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses and other current assets, and trade payables. Our short-term debt also fluctuates during the year to meet working capital needs. Our cash collections generally occur after the application season is complete, while customer prepayments made to us are typically concentrated in December and January and inventory prepayments paid to our vendors are typically concentrated in the period from November to January. Feed and industrial sales are more evenly distributed throughout the year.

Our earnings are significantly affected by fertilizer benchmark prices, which have been volatile over the last two years and are affected by demand-supply conditions, grower affordability and weather.

Other material transactions or events that impacted our quarterly results included:

 

  Quarter     Transaction or event

2023 Q2

 

$698 million non-cash impairment of assets comprising a $233 million non-cash impairment of our Phosphate White Springs property, plant and equipment due to a decrease in our forecasted phosphate margins and a $465 million non-cash impairment of our Retail – South America assets primarily related to goodwill mainly due to the impact of crop input price volatility, more moderate long-term growth assumptions and higher interest rates which lowered our forecasted earnings.

2022 Q3

 

$330 million reversal of non-cash impairment of our Phosphate White Springs property, plant and equipment related to higher forecasted global prices and a more favorable outlook for phosphate margins.

2022 Q2

 

$450 million reversal of non-cash impairment of our Phosphate Aurora property, plant and equipment related to higher forecasted global prices and a more favorable outlook for phosphate margins.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   75


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Fourth quarter financial performance

 

(millions of US dollars, except as
otherwise noted)
  

Sales

    

Gross margin

 
   
Three months ended December 31    2023      2022      % Change      2023      2022      % Change  
Retail                      

Crop nutrients

     1,808        2,320        (22      346        349        (1

Crop protection products

     960        981        (2      333        413        (19

Seed

     202        251        (20      36        46        (22

Merchandise

     251        264        (5      41        41         

Nutrien Financial

     70        62        13        70        62        13  

Services and other

     236        237               188        194        (3

Nutrien Financial elimination 1

     (25      (28      (11      (25      (28      (11

Total

     3,502        4,087        (14      989        1,077        (8

1  Represents elimination for the interest and service fees charged by Nutrien Financial to Retail branches.

 

   

(US dollars, except as otherwise noted)    Manufactured product sales tonnes (thousands)      Manufactured product average per tonne  
   
Three months ended December 31    2023      2022      % Change      2023      2022      % Change  
Potash                      

North America

     1,089        959        14        342        560        (39

Offshore

     2,214        1,659        33        182        506        (64

Sales

     3,303        2,618        26        235        526        (55

Cost of goods sold

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     106        118        (10

Gross margin

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     129        408        (68
Nitrogen                      

Ammonia

     651        776        (16      416        887        (53

Urea and ESN® 1

     739        764        (3      428        666        (36

Solutions, nitrates and sulfates

     1,344        1,056        27        215        368        (42

Sales

     2,734        2,596        5        321        611        (47

Cost of goods sold 1

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     218        343        (36

Gross margin

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     103        268        (62
Phosphate                      

Fertilizer

     579        391        48        557        700        (20

Industrial and feed

     174        140        24        860        1,107        (22

Sales

     753        531        42        627        807        (22

Cost of goods sold

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     535        762        (30

Gross margin

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     92        45        104  

 

1

Certain immaterial 2022 figures have been reclassified.

 

76   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

 

 

      

 

      

 

     Three months ended December 31  
 

(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)

       

 

       

 

     2023      2022      % Change  
Adjusted EBITDA                    

Retail

              229        391        (41

Potash

              463        958        (52

Nitrogen

              391        841        (54

Phosphate

              130        28        364  

Corporate and others

              (117 )       (180      (35

Eliminations

                                (21 )       57        n/m  
Adjusted EBITDA1     

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     1,075        2,095        (49
Net earnings     

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

     176        1,118        (84

 

1  This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for further information.

Highlights of our 2023 fourth quarter compared to the 2022 fourth quarter results were as follows:

 

  

 

   Q4 2023 vs Q4 2022

Retail

  

Gross margin decreased in 2023 primarily due to lower gross margin for crop protection products. Crop protection products sales were lower primarily due to decreased selling prices compared to the historically strong comparable period in 2022. This was partially offset by higher sales in North America as growers returned to more normalized buying behaviors. Crop nutrients sales and gross margin decreased due to lower selling prices across all regions compared to the strong comparable period in 2022. Sales volumes increased as growers returned to more normalized application rates to replenish nutrients in the soil. Seed sales and gross margin decreased due to lower soybean sales volumes and competitive market prices in Latin America.

Potash

  

Gross margin decreased due to lower net realized selling prices, which more than offset higher North American and Offshore sales volumes and lower royalties. Net realized selling price decreased compared to the historically strong period in 2022, due to a decline in benchmark prices and higher costs related to logistical challenges at Canpotex’s West Coast port facilities. Sales volumes in North America were higher due to lower channel inventory and increased grower demand supported by an extended fall application window and improved affordability. Offshore sales volumes were driven by stronger demand in Brazil and China. Cost of goods sold per tonne decreased mainly due to lower royalties and reduced turnaround activity.

Nitrogen

  

Gross margin was lower due to lower net realized selling prices for all major nitrogen products, which more than offset lower natural gas costs and higher sales volumes. Net realized selling price was lower for all major nitrogen products primarily due to weaker benchmark prices resulting from lower energy prices in key nitrogen producing regions. Sales volumes were higher primarily due to higher UAN production and sales, partially offset by lower ammonia availability mainly due to unplanned production outages at our plants in Trinidad. Cost of goods sold per tonne decreased mainly due to lower natural gas costs.

 

We recognized a $76 million non-cash impairment of our Trinidad property, plant and equipment due to a new natural gas contract and the resulting outlook for higher expected natural gas costs and constrained near-term availability. We expect improved natural gas availability in Trinidad as the development of additional gas fields is anticipated to add new supply starting in 2026.

Phosphate

  

Gross margin increased primarily due to lower sulfur and ammonia input costs, partially offset by lower net realized selling prices. Net realized selling price decreased primarily due to lower fertilizer net realized selling prices from weaker benchmark prices and lower industrial and feed net realized selling prices, which reflect the typical lag in price realizations relative to spot fertilizer prices. Sales volumes increased mostly due to higher phosphate fertilizer demand. Cost of goods sold per tonne decreased mainly due to lower ammonia and sulfur costs, partially offset by higher depreciation from reversal of non-cash impairments in 2022.

Other fourth quarter financial highlights

  

The Corporate and Others segment reflects $142 million of higher expenses for asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs related to our non-operating sites due to changes in closure cost estimates. Finance costs were higher primarily due to higher interest rates and higher average long-term debt balances. Income tax expense and effective tax rate reflect a $134 million income tax recovery due to changes to our tax declarations in Switzerland (“Swiss Tax Reform adjustment”). The fourth quarter 2023 effective tax rate also includes the impact of our losses in Retail – South America, wherein we did not recognize a corresponding deferred tax asset as it did not meet the accounting criteria for asset recognition.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   77


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Controls and procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by Nutrien in its annual filings, interim filings (as these terms are defined in National Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Filings (“NI 52-109”)), and other reports filed or submitted by us under securities legislation is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required time periods. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, after evaluating the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the annual filings, being December 31, 2023, have concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by Nutrien in its annual filings, interim filings, or other reports filed or submitted by it under securities legislation is (a) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the securities legislation, and (b) accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.

Internal control over financial reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and NI 52-109. Internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the design and effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year covered by this report based on the framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as at December 31, 2023, Nutrien Ltd. did maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. There have been no changes that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2023 was audited by KPMG LLP, as reflected in their report, which is included in this 2023 Annual Report.

 

78   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements and other information included in this document, including within the “2024 Guidance” section and the “Market outlook” sections for each segment, constitute “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) under applicable securities laws (such statements are often accompanied by words such as “anticipate”, “forecast”, “expect”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “estimate”, “project”, “intend” or other similar words). All statements in this document, other than those relating to historical information or current conditions, are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to:

Nutrien’s business strategies, plans, prospects and opportunities; Nutrien’s 2024 annual guidance, including expectations regarding our Retail adjusted EBITDA, Potash sales volumes, Nitrogen sales volumes, Phosphate sales volumes, depreciation and amortization, finance costs, effective tax rate on adjusted earnings and capital expenditures; our projections to generate strong cash from operations and expectations regarding our capital allocation intentions and strategies, including with respect to expansion of our portfolio of advanced nutrition products and overall growth of the Retail platform and network optimization initiatives; our ability to advance strategic initiatives and high value growth investments, including expectations regarding our ability to serve growers, maintain a low-cost position of fertilizer production assets and increase free cash flow; capital spending expectations for 2024 and beyond, including spending related to advancement of proprietary products, network optimization and digital capabilities in Retail, automation in Potash mining, and brownfield expansions in Nitrogen; expectations regarding our ability to generate free cash flow and return capital to our shareholders, including our expectations regarding stable and growing dividends; our ability to reduce our GHG emissions, and the initiatives in connection therewith, including the expected impacts in connection with the installment of our final N2O abatement project; expectations and forecasts relating to our Aurora and White Springs CGUs and the reversals and impairments (as applicable) associated therewith; our ability to advance strategic growth initiatives; the expected impacts and timing of new supply from additional gas fields in Trinidad; the resulting outlook of higher expected gas costs and lower near-term availability from the new natural gas contract related to our Trinidad property, plant and equipment in our Nitrogen segment and the impairments associated therewith; capital spending expectations for 2024 and beyond, including our intention to reduce planned capital expenditures in 2024 and our goal to continuously improve in our initiatives and make selective and strategic investments; expectations regarding Retail inventory levels in North America; expectations regarding performance of our operating segments in 2024, including increased fertilizer sales volumes and growth in Retail earnings; our operating segment market outlooks and our expectations for global market conditions and fundamentals in 2024 and beyond, including agriculture and crop nutrient markets and global energy supply, the anticipated supply and demand for our products and services, expected market, industry and growing conditions with respect to crop nutrient application rates, planted acres, grower crop investment, crop mix, including the need to replenish soil nutrient levels, production volumes and expenses, shipments, natural gas costs and availability, consumption, prices, operating rates, the impact of seasonality, import and export volumes, economic sanctions, inventories, crop development, natural gas curtailments in Trinidad and elsewhere, and global population growth expectations; the expected impact on nitrogen volume growth of completed brownfield expansions at our Geismar site and the anticipated effects of our UAN debottleneck projects; expectations concerning future product offerings; expectations regarding changes in the agriculture space, including continued farm consolidation in the US and other developed markets and the continued advancement and adoption of technology and digital innovations, including the use and anticipated effects of autonomous mining and reliability improvements, new crop input technologies, artificial technology, biostimulants, biological product technologies and advanced nutrition products, and agronomic capabilities; expectations regarding environmental compliance requirements and costs, including estimates of asset retirement obligations, federal and provincial carbon pricing, permits, approvals and site assessment and remediation costs; expectations regarding our sustainability initiatives and our proposed responses to climate change, including our GHG emissions reduction strategy and related programs and initiatives, our various sustainability performance goals, targets, costs, capital expenditures, commitments and aspirations as set out in our Feeding the Future Plan and the 2023 ESG Report; our evaluation of future opportunities with respect to the suspended Geismar clean ammonia project; the negotiation of sales and other contracts, including the expiry of existing contracts; initiatives to promote innovative, sustainable and productive agriculture; timing and impacts of plant turnarounds; acquisitions and divestitures and the anticipated benefits thereof; and expectations in connection with our ability to deliver long-term returns to shareholders.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. As such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.

All of the forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions referred to below and elsewhere in this document. Although we believe that these assumptions are reasonable, having regard to our experience and our perception of historical trends, the assumptions set forth below are not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements and the reader should not place undue reliance on these assumptions and such forward-looking statements. Current conditions, economic and otherwise, render assumptions, although reasonable when made, subject to greater uncertainty.

Mid-cycle scenarios are based on medium-term estimates for manufactured sales volumes and Retail adjusted EBITDA. Mid-cycle pricing assumptions are based on a ten-year historical average of fertilizer benchmark pricing from June 2013 to June 2023, plus approximately $50 per tonne. In respect of our mid-cycle scenario estimates, we have made assumptions with respect to, among other things: our expectations for global economic conditions including supply and demand for fertilizer, fertilizer and commodity prices and global potash volumes returning to historical trend line growth rates; our expectations for our logistics and production capacity; our expectations for Retail margin normalization; our ability to increase sales volumes as global demand grows; and our expectations for access to and availability of capital, foreign exchange, inflation and interest rates, costs and availability of labor and technology.

In respect of our GHG emissions reduction and other sustainability and climate-related initiatives and targets, we have made assumptions with respect to, among other things: that such target is achievable by deploying capital into N2O abatement at our nitric acid production facilities,

energy efficiency improvements, carbon capture, utilization and storage, use of natural gas to generate electricity and waste heat recovery; our ability to successfully deploy capital and pursue other operational measures, including the successful application to our current and future operations of existing and new technologies; the successful implementation by us of proposed or potential plans in respect thereof; projected capital investment levels, the flexibility of our capital spending plans and the associated sources of funding; our expectations for our production mix between nitrogen, phosphate and potash and grid decarbonization (including timing thereof); our ability to otherwise implement all

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   79


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

technology necessary to achieve our GHG emissions reduction and other sustainability and climate-related initiatives and targets; and the development, availability and performance of technology and technological innovations and associated expected future results. Additional key assumptions that have been made in relation to the operation of our business as currently planned and our ability to achieve our business objectives include, among other things, assumptions with respect to our ability to successfully implement our business strategies, growth and capital allocation investments and initiatives that we will conduct our operations and achieve results of operations as anticipated; our ability to successfully complete, integrate and realize the anticipated benefits of our already completed and future acquisitions and divestitures, and that we will be able to implement our standards, controls, procedures and policies in respect of any acquired businesses and realize the expected synergies on the anticipated timeline or at all; that future business, regulatory and industry conditions will be within the parameters expected by us, including with respect to prices, expenses, margins, demand, supply, product availability, shipments, consumption, weather conditions, including the current El Niño weather pattern, supplier agreements, product distribution agreements, availability, inventory levels, exports, crop development and cost of labor and interest, exchange and effective tax rates; assumptions with respect to global economic conditions and the accuracy of our market outlook expectations for 2024 and beyond; assumptions related to our assessment of recoverable amount estimates of our assets, including in relation to our Retail – South America group of CGUs goodwill and intangible asset impairments; assumptions related to the calculation of recoverable amount of our Aurora and White Springs CGUs, including internal sales and input price forecasts, discount rate, long-term growth rate and end of expected mine life; assumptions with respect to the benefits of the brownfield expansions at our Geismar site; assumptions related to the impairment of our Nitrogen and Phosphate property, plant and equipment; assumptions with respect to our intention to complete share repurchases under our normal course issuer bid programs, including TSX approval, the funding of such share repurchases, existing and future market conditions, including with respect to the price of our common shares, and compliance with respect to applicable limitations under securities laws and regulations and stock exchange policies; assumptions related to our ability to fund our dividends at the current level; our expectations regarding the impacts, direct and indirect, of certain geopolitical conflicts, including the war in Eastern Europe and the conflict in the Middle East on, among other things, global supply and demand, including for crop nutrients, energy and commodity prices, global interest rates, supply chains and the global macroeconomic environment, including inflation; assumptions regarding future markets for clean ammonia; the adequacy of our cash generated from operations and our ability to access our credit facilities or capital markets for additional sources of financing; our ability to identify suitable candidates for acquisitions and divestitures and negotiate acceptable terms; our ability to maintain investment grade ratings and achieve our performance targets; our ability to successfully negotiate sales and other contracts; and our ability to successfully implement new initiatives and programs. Key assumptions with respect to our 2030 commitment of a 30% reduction in GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) per tonne of our products produced, from a baseline year of 2018, include growth in potash production volumes, operating rates within expected parameters and grid decarbonization progressing on expected timelines.

Events or circumstances could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

With respect to our GHG emissions reduction and other sustainability and climate-related initiatives and targets, such events or circumstances include, but are not limited to: our ability to deploy sufficient capital to fund the necessary expenditures to implement the necessary operational changes to achieve these initiatives and targets; our ability to implement requisite operational changes; our ability to implement some or all of the technology necessary to efficiently and effectively achieve expected future results, including in respect of such GHG emissions reduction target; the availability and commercial viability and scalability of emissions reduction strategies and related technology and products; and the development and execution of implementing strategies to meet such GHG emissions reduction target.

With respect to our business generally and our ability to meet other targets, commitments, goals, strategies and related milestones and schedules disclosed in this document, such events or circumstances include, but are not limited to: general global economic, market and business conditions; failure to achieve expected results of our business strategy, capital allocation initiatives or results of operations; failure to complete announced and future acquisitions or divestitures at all or on the expected terms and within the expected timeline; seasonality; climate change and weather conditions, including the current El Niño weather pattern, and impacts from regional flooding and/or drought conditions; failure to execute on our strategies related to sustainability matters or to achieve our GHG emission and other related expectations, targets, goals and commitments; crop planted acreage, yield and prices; the supply and demand and price levels for our products; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government policy (including tariffs, trade restrictions and climate change initiatives), government ownership requirements, and changes in environmental, tax, antitrust, and other laws or regulations and the interpretation thereof; political or military risks, including civil unrest, actions by armed groups or conflict and malicious acts including terrorism and industrial espionage; our ability to access sufficient, cost-effective and timely transportation, distribution and storage of products; the occurrence of a major environmental or safety incident or becoming subject to legal or regulatory proceedings; innovation and cybersecurity risks related to our systems, including our costs of addressing or mitigating such risks; counterparty and sovereign risk; delays in completion of turnarounds at our major facilities or challenges related to our major facilities that are out of our control; interruptions of or constraints in availability of key inputs, including natural gas and sulfur; any significant impairment of the carrying amount of certain assets; the risk that rising interest rates and/or deteriorated business operating results may result in the further impairment of assets or goodwill attributed to certain CGUs; risks related to reputational loss; certain complications that may arise in our mining processes; the ability to attract, engage and retain skilled employees and strikes or other forms of work stoppages; geopolitical conflicts, including the war in Eastern Europe and the conflict in the Middle East, and their potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions and supply and demand, including for crop nutrients, energy and commodity prices, interest rates, supply chains and the global economy generally; our ability to execute on our strategies related to environmental, social and governance matters, and achieve expectations, targets and commitments; and other risk factors detailed from time to time in Nutrien reports filed with the Canadian securities regulators and the SEC in the US.

The purpose of our 2024 Retail adjusted EBITDA, depreciation and amortization, finance costs, effective tax rate on adjusted earnings and capital expenditures guidance ranges are to assist readers in understanding our expected and targeted financial results, and this information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

The forward-looking statements in this document are made as of the date hereof and Nutrien disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this document as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable Canadian securities legislation or applicable US federal securities laws.

 

80   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Appendix A – non-GAAP financial measures

We use both IFRS measures and certain non-GAAP financial measures to assess performance. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures disclosed by the Company that (a) depict historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of the Company, (b) with respect to their composition, exclude amounts that are included in, or include amounts that are excluded from, the composition of the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in the primary financial statements of the Company, (c) are not disclosed in the financial statements of the Company and (d) are not a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation. Non-GAAP ratios are financial measures disclosed by the Company that are in the form of a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation that has a non-GAAP financial measure as one or more of its components, and that are not disclosed in the financial statements of the Company.

These non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios are not standardized financial measures under IFRS and, therefore, are unlikely to be comparable to similar financial measures presented by other companies. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios provide transparent and useful supplemental information to help investors evaluate our financial performance, financial condition and liquidity using the same measures as management. These non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

The following section outlines our non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios, their compositions, and why management uses each measure. It also includes reconciliations to the most directly comparable IFRS measures. Except as otherwise described herein, our non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios are calculated on a consistent basis from period to period and are adjusted for specific items in each period, as applicable. As additional non-recurring or unusual items arise in the future, we generally exclude these items in our calculations.

Adjusted EBITDA (consolidated)

Most directly comparable IFRS financial measure: Net earnings (loss).

Definition: Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net earnings (loss) before finance costs, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation and certain foreign exchange gain/loss (net of related derivatives). We also adjust this measure for the following other income and expenses that are excluded when management evaluates the performance of our day-to-day operations: integration and restructuring related costs, impairment or reversal of impairment of assets, COVID-19 related expenses, gain or loss on disposal of certain businesses and investments, asset retirement obligations (“ARO”) and accrued environmental costs (“ERL”) related to our non-operating sites, and loss on remitting cash from certain foreign jurisdictions (e.g. Blue Chip Swaps). In 2023, we amended our calculation of adjusted EBITDA to adjust for the asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs related to our non-operating sites and the loss on remitting cash from certain foreign jurisdictions. We do not consider these to be part of our day-to-day operations. There were no similar income and expense in the comparative periods.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   81


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: It is not impacted by long-term investment and financing decisions, but rather focuses on the performance of our day-to-day operations. It provides a measure of our ability to service debt and to meet other payment obligations and as a component of employee remuneration calculations.

 

 
(millions of US dollars)       2023         2022  
Net earnings             1,282              7,687  
Finance costs        793          563  
Income tax (recovery) expense        670          2,559  
Depreciation and amortization        2,169          2,012  
EBITDA 1        4,914          12,821  
Adjustments:            

Integration and restructuring related costs

       49          46  

Share-based compensation (recovery) expense

       (14        63  

Impairment (reversal of impairment) of assets

       774          (780

ARO/ERL expense for non-operating sites

       152           

Foreign exchange loss, net of related derivatives

       91          31  

Loss on Blue Chip Swaps

       92           

Gain on disposal of investment

                (19

COVID-19 related expenses 2

                8  
Adjusted EBITDA        6,058          12,170  

 

1

EBITDA is calculated as net earnings before finance costs, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization.

2

COVID-19 related expenses primarily consist of increased cleaning and sanitization costs, the purchase of personal protective equipment, discretionary supplemental employee costs, and costs related to construction delays from access limitations and other government restrictions.

Adjusted net earnings and adjusted net earnings per share

Most directly comparable IFRS financial measure: Net earnings (loss) and diluted net earnings (loss) per share.

Definition: Adjusted net earnings and related per share information are calculated as net earnings (loss) before share-based compensation and certain foreign exchange gain/loss (net of related derivatives), net of tax. We also adjust this measure for the following other income and expenses (net of tax) that are excluded when management evaluates the performance of our day-to-day operations: certain integration and restructuring related costs, impairment or reversal of impairment of assets, COVID-19 related expenses (including those recorded under finance costs), gain or loss on disposal of certain businesses and investments, gain or loss on early extinguishment of debt or on settlement of derivatives due to discontinuance of hedge accounting, asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs related to our non-operating sites, loss on remitting cash from certain foreign jurisdictions (e.g. Blue Chip Swaps), change in recognition of tax losses and deductible temporary differences related to impairments and certain changes to tax declarations in Switzerland (“Swiss Tax Reform adjustment”) resulting in an income tax recovery from the recognition of a deferred tax asset. In 2023, we amended our calculation of adjusted net earnings and adjusted net earnings per share to adjust for the asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs related to our non-operating sites, the loss on remitting cash from certain foreign jurisdictions, the change in recognition of Retail – South America tax losses and deductible temporary differences and the Swiss Tax Reform adjustment. We do not consider these to be part of our day-to-day operations. There were no similar income and expense in the comparative periods. We generally apply the annual forecasted effective tax rate to our adjustments during the year, and at year-end, we apply the actual effective tax rate. Prior to December 31, 2023, we applied a specific tax rate for material adjustments. Effective December 31, 2023, we applied a tax rate specific to each adjustment.

 

82   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: Focuses on the performance of our day-to-day operations and is used as a component of employee remuneration calculations.

 

 
  

 

   2023        2022  
   

(millions of US dollars, except

as otherwise noted)

   Increases
(decreases)
       Post-tax        Per diluted
share
       Increases
(decreases)
       Post-tax        Per diluted
share
 

Net earnings attributable to equity holders of Nutrien

          1,258          2.53               7,660          14.18  

Adjustments:

                             

Share-based compensation (recovery) expense

     (14        (11        (0.02        63          47          0.10  

Foreign exchange loss, net of related derivatives

     91          83          0.17          31          23          0.05  

Integration and restructuring related costs

     49          40          0.08          46          35          0.06  

Impairment (reversal of impairment) of assets

     774          702          1.42          (780        (619        (1.15

ARO/ERL expense for non-operating sites

     152          110          0.22                             

Loss on Blue Chip Swaps

     92          92          0.18                             

Change in recognition of deferred tax assets

     66          66          0.13                             

Swiss Tax Reform adjustment

     (134        (134        (0.27                           

COVID-19 related expenses

                                8          6          0.01  

Gain on disposal of investment

                                (19        (14        (0.03

Gain on settlement of discontinued hedge accounting derivative

                                (18        (14        (0.03

Adjusted net earnings

    

 

 

 

 

 

       2,206          4.44         

 

 

 

 

 

       7,124          13.19  

Gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization per tonne – manufactured

Most directly comparable IFRS financial measure: Gross margin.

Definition: Gross margin per tonne less depreciation and amortization per tonne for manufactured products. Reconciliations are provided in the “Results – Operating Segment Performance” section.

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: Focuses on the performance of our day-to-day operations, which excludes the effects of items that primarily reflect the impact of long-term investment and financing decisions.

Potash controllable cash cost of product manufactured (“COPM”) per tonne

Most directly comparable IFRS financial measure: Cost of goods sold (“COGS”) for the Potash segment.

Definition: Total Potash COGS excluding depreciation and amortization expense included in COPM, royalties, natural gas costs and carbon taxes, change in inventory, and other adjustments, divided by potash production tonnes.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   83


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: To assess operational performance. Potash controllable cash COPM excludes the effects of production from other periods and the impacts of our long-term investment decisions, supporting a focus on the performance of our day-to-day operations. Potash controllable cash COPM also excludes royalties and natural gas costs and carbon taxes, which management does not consider controllable, as they are primarily driven by regulatory and market conditions.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Total COGS – Potash          1,396            1,400  
Change in inventory        (40        58  
Other adjustments 1        (26        (41
COPM        1,330          1,417  
Depreciation and amortization in COPM        (427        (406
Royalties in COPM        (100        (190
Natural gas costs and carbon taxes in COPM        (46        (62
Controllable cash COPM        757          759  
Production tonnes (tonnes – thousands)        12,998          13,007  
Potash controllable cash COPM per tonne        58          58  

 

1

Other adjustments include unallocated production overhead that is recognized as part of cost of goods sold but is not included in the measurement of inventory and changes in inventory balances.

Ammonia controllable cash COPM per tonne

Most directly comparable IFRS financial measure: Total manufactured COGS for the Nitrogen segment.

Definition: Total Nitrogen COGS excluding depreciation and amortization expense included in COGS, cash COGS for products other than ammonia, other adjustments, and natural gas and steam costs, divided by net ammonia production tonnes.

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: To assess operational performance. Ammonia controllable cash COPM excludes the effects of production from other periods, the costs of natural gas and steam, and long-term investment decisions, supporting a focus on the performance of our day-to-day operations.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Total manufactured COGS – Nitrogen 1          2,435            3,370  
Total other COGS – Nitrogen 1        393          882  
Total COGS – Nitrogen        2,828          4,252  
Depreciation and amortization in COGS        (474        (465
Cash COGS for products other than ammonia        (1,693        (2,560
Ammonia            

Total cash COGS before other adjustments

       661          1,227  

Other adjustments 2

       (222        (210

Total cash COPM

       439          1,017  

Natural gas and steam costs in COPM

       (304        (855

Controllable cash COPM

       135          162  
Production tonnes (net tonnes 3 – thousands)        2,276          2,754  
Ammonia controllable cash COPM per tonne        60          59  

 

1

Certain immaterial 2022 figures have been reclassified.

2

Other adjustments include unallocated production overhead that is recognized as part of cost of goods sold but is not included in the measurement of inventory and changes in inventory balances.

3

Ammonia tonnes available for sale, as not upgraded to other nitrogen products.

 

84   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Retail adjusted average working capital to sales and retail adjusted average working capital to sales excluding Nutrien Financial

Definition: Retail adjusted average working capital divided by Retail adjusted sales for the last four rolling quarters. We exclude in our calculations the sales and working capital of certain acquisitions during the first year following the acquisition. We also look at this metric excluding Nutrien Financial revenue and working capital.

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: To evaluate operational efficiency. A lower or higher percentage represents increased or decreased efficiency, respectively. The metric excluding Nutrien Financial shows the impact that the working capital of Nutrien Financial has on the ratio.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Average current assets         11,470           11,952  
Average current liabilities        7,666          8,249  
Average working capital        3,804          3,703  
Average working capital from certain recent acquisitions                  
Adjusted average working capital        3,804          3,703  
Average Nutrien Financial working capital        (3,561        (3,311
Adjusted average working capital excluding Nutrien Financial        243          392  
Sales        19,542          21,350  
Sales from certain recent acquisitions                  
Adjusted sales        19,542          21,350  
Nutrien Financial revenue        (322        (267
Adjusted sales excluding Nutrien Financial        19,220          21,083  
Adjusted average working capital to sales (%)        19          17  
Adjusted average working capital to sales excluding Nutrien Financial (%)        1          2  

Nutrien Financial adjusted net interest margin

Definition: Nutrien Financial revenue less deemed interest expense divided by average Nutrien Financial net receivables outstanding for the last four rolling quarters.

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: Used by credit rating agencies and others to evaluate the financial performance of Nutrien Financial.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Nutrien Financial revenue        322          267  
Deemed interest expense 1        (136        (41
Net interest        186          226  
Average Nutrien Financial net receivables          3,561            3,311  
Nutrien Financial adjusted net interest margin (%)        5.2          6.8  

 

1

Average borrowing rate applied to the notional debt required to fund the portfolio of receivables from customers monitored and serviced by Nutrien Financial.

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   85


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Retail cash operating coverage ratio

Definition: Retail selling, general and administrative, and other expenses (income), excluding depreciation and amortization expense, divided by Retail gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization expense in cost of goods sold, for the last four rolling quarters.

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: To understand the costs and underlying economics of our Retail operations and to assess our Retail operating performance and ability to generate free cash flow.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Selling expenses          3,375            3,392  
General and administrative expenses        217          200  
Other expenses        158          29  
Operating expenses        3,750          3,621  
Depreciation and amortization in operating expenses        (749        (740
Operating expenses excluding depreciation and amortization        3,001          2,881  
Gross margin        4,430          5,179  
Depreciation and amortization in cost of goods sold        10          12  
Gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization        4,440          5,191  
Cash operating coverage ratio (%)        68          55  

Return on invested capital (“ROIC”)

Definition: ROIC is calculated as net operating profit after taxes divided by the average invested capital for the last four rolling quarters.

Net operating profit after taxes, a non-GAAP financial measure, is calculated as earnings before finance costs and income taxes, depreciation and amortization related to the fair value adjustments as a result of the Merger (the merger of equals transaction between PotashCorp and Agrium), share-based compensation, and certain foreign exchange gain/loss (net of related derivatives) and Nutrien Financial earnings before finance costs and income taxes. The most directly comparable IFRS financial measure to net operating profit after taxes is earnings before finance costs and income taxes. We also adjust this measure for the following other income and expenses that are excluded when management evaluates the performance of our day-to-day operations: integration and restructuring related costs, impairment or reversal of impairment of assets, COVID-19 related expenses, gain or loss on disposal of certain businesses and investments, and IFRS adoption transition adjustments. A tax rate of 25 percent is applied on the calculated amount. Prior to 2023, we were adjusting for Nutrien Financial revenue; however, in 2023, we updated our calculation to adjust for Nutrien Financial earnings before finance costs and income taxes to further refine our calculations.

Invested capital is calculated as last four rolling quarter average of total assets less cash and cash equivalents; payables and accrued charges; Merger fair value adjustments on goodwill, intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment; and average Nutrien Financial working capital.

We exclude in our calculations the related financial information of certain acquisitions during the first year following the acquisition.

 

86   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors: In 2022, we added a new financial measure to evaluate how efficiently we allocate our capital. ROIC provides useful information to evaluate our after-tax cash operating return on invested capital and is used as a component of employee remuneration calculations.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022        2021  
Earnings before finance costs and income taxes          2,745           10,809            4,781  
Merger adjustments 1        194          231          277  
Integration and restructuring related costs        49          46          43  
Share-based compensation (recovery) expense        (14        63          198  
Impairment (reversal of impairment) of assets        774          (780        33  
ARO/ERL expense for non-operating sites        152                    
COVID-19 related expenses                 8          45  
Foreign exchange loss, net of related derivatives        91          31          39  
Loss on Blue Chip Swap transactions        92                    
Gain on disposal of investment                 (19         
Cloud computing transition adjustment                          36  
Nutrien Financial earnings before finance costs and income taxes        (127        (234        (124
Net operating profit        3,956          10,155          5,328  
Tax (calculated at 25%)        989          2,539          1,332  
Net operating profit after tax        2,967          7,616          3,996  

1  Depreciation and amortization related to the fair value adjustments as a result of the Merger (the merger of equals transaction between PotashCorp and Agrium).

 

   

Total assets        53,874          54,228          48,880  
Cash and cash equivalents        (926        (753        (862
Payables and accrued charges        (9,050        (10,687        (8,773
Merger adjustments 1        (9,896        (10,232        (10,516
Average Nutrien Financial receivables        (3,561        (3,311        (2,316
Invested capital        30,441          29,245          26,413  

 

1  Merger fair value adjustments on goodwill, intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment.

   

      

 

 

 

 

 

Return on invested capital (%)        10          26          15  

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   87


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Appendix B – other financial measures

Supplementary financial measures

Supplementary financial measures are financial measures disclosed by the Company that (a) are, or are intended to be, disclosed on a periodic basis to depict the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of the Company, (b) are not disclosed in the financial statements of the Company, (c) are not non-GAAP financial measures, and (d) are not non-GAAP ratios.

The following section provides an explanation of the composition of those supplementary financial measures if not previously provided.

Retail adjusted EBITDA margin: Retail adjusted EBITDA divided by Retail sales for the last four rolling quarters.

Sustaining capital expenditures: Represents capital expenditures that are required to sustain operations at existing levels and include major repairs and maintenance and plant turnarounds.

Investing capital expenditures: Represents capital expenditures related to significant expansions of current operations or to create cost savings (synergies). Investing capital expenditures excludes capital outlays for business acquisitions and equity-accounted investees.

Mine development and pre-stripping capital expenditures: Represents capital expenditures that are required for activities to open new areas underground and/or develop a mine or ore body to allow for future production mining and activities required to prepare and/or access the ore, i.e., removal of an overburden that allows access to the ore.

Retail adjusted EBITDA per US selling location: Calculated as total Retail US adjusted EBITDA for the last four rolling quarters, representing the organic EBITDA component, which excludes acquisitions in those quarters, divided by the number of US locations that have generated sales in the last four rolling quarters, adjusted for acquired locations in those quarters.

Cash used for dividends and share repurchases (shareholder returns): Calculated as dividends paid to Nutrien’s shareholders plus repurchase of common shares as reflected in the consolidated statements of cash flows. This measure is useful as it represents return of capital to shareholders.

 

88   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


Overview   MD&A   Five-year highlights   Financial statements and notes  
 

 

Results

     
   

 

           

 

Capital management measures

Capital management measures are financial measures disclosed by the Company that (a) are intended to enable an individual to evaluate the Company’s objectives, policies and processes for managing the Company’s capital, (b) are not a component of a line item disclosed in the primary financial statements of the Company, (c) are disclosed in the notes of the financial statements of the Company, and (d) are not disclosed in the primary financial statements of the Company.

The following section outlines our capital management measure, its composition and why management uses the measure.

Adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA: Calculated as adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA. Both components are non-GAAP financial measures. This ratio measures financial leverage and our ability to pay our debt.

The most directly comparable measure for adjusted net debt is total short-term and long-term debt and lease liabilities less cash and cash equivalents and is defined as the total of short-term and long-term debt plus lease liabilities less cash and cash equivalents and unamortized fair value adjustments. This measure is useful as it adjusts for the unamortized fair value adjustments that arose at the time of the Merger and is non-cash in nature.

 

 
(millions of US dollars, except as otherwise noted)      2023        2022  
Short-term debt        1,815          2,142  
Current portion of long-term debt        512          542  
Current portion of lease liabilities        327          305  
Long-term debt        8,913          8,040  
Lease liabilities        999          899  
Total debt         12,566           11,928  
Cash and cash equivalents        (941        (901
Unamortized fair value adjustments        (294        (310
Adjusted net debt        11,331          10,717  

 

  Nutrien Annual Report 2023   89


       
       

 

Terms and definitions

 

Terms      

 

AECO    Alberta Energy Company, Canada
ABARES    Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences
Argus    Argus Media group, UK
Bloomberg    Bloomberg Finance L.P., USA
Conab    The National Supply Company (CONAB) is a public company under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply – MAPA.
CME    Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
CRU    CRU International limited, UK
ICE    Intercontinental Exchange
IFA    International Fiscal Association
IMEA    Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics
Moody’s    Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO), USA
NYMEX    New York Mercantile Exchange, USA
NYSE    New York Stock Exchange, USA

S&P

   S&P Global Inc., USA
SPGCI    S&P Global Commodity Insights
StatsCan    Statistics Canada
TTF    Title Transfer Facility
TSX    Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada
USDA    United States Department of Agriculture, USA
CAD    Canadian dollar
USD    United States dollar
AUD    Australian dollar

 

Scientific terms      

 

     

 

Potash    KCI    potassium chloride, 60–63.2% K2O (solid)
Nitrogen    CO2    carbon dioxide
 

 

   CO2e    carbon dioxide equivalent
 

 

   DEF    diesel exhaust fluid
 

 

   ESN®    environmentally smart nitrogen, 44% nitrogen
 

 

   NH3    ammonia (anhydrous), 82.2% N (liquid)
 

 

   N2O    nitrous oxide
 

 

   UAN    urea ammonium nitrate solution, 28–32% N (liquid)
Phosphate    AS    ammonium sulfate (solid)
 

 

   DAP    diammonium phosphate, 46% P2O5 (solid)
 

 

   MAP    monoammonium phosphate, 52% P2O5 (solid)
 

 

   MGA    merchant grade acid, 54% P2O5 (liquid)
 

 

   MST    micronized sulfur technology, P + S
 

 

   P2O5    diphosphorus pentoxide
 

 

   SPA    superphosphoric acid, 70% P2O5 (liquid)

 

   
146   Nutrien Annual Report 2023  


       
       

 

 

Product measures

     

 

K2O tonne    Measures the potassium content of products having different chemical analyses
Mmt    Million metric tonnes
MMBtu    Million British thermal units
N tonne    Measures the nitrogen content of products having different chemical analyses
P2O5 tonne    Measures the phosphorus content of products having different chemical analyses
Product tonne    Standard measure of the weights of all types of potash, nitrogen and phosphate products

 

 

Definitions

     

 

Brownfield    New project expanding or developing an existing facility or operation.
CCUS    Carbon capture, utilization and storage. Process by which CO2 produced from various industrial processes is captured and either utilized for further industrial processes or transported to a permanent storage location to prevent release into the atmosphere.
Capital expenditures    Represents the sum of: sustaining capital expenditures, investing capital expenditures and mine development and pre-stripping capital expenditures. See the “Other Financial Measures” section.
Carbon offset/ inset    Carbon offsetting is a way for entities to reduce their carbon footprint by paying another entity to reduce their emissions. Carbon insetting refers to the actions taken by an organization to reduce emissions within its own supply chain.
Clean ammonia    Ammonia made with direct GHG emissions reduced by at least 90 percent compared to a conventional process, produced from hydrogen obtained using the next generation of ammonia production technology, such as auto-thermal reforming or water electrolysis with renewable power; this definition does not include end product use.
Community investment    Represents cash disbursements, matching of employee gifts and in-kind contributions of equipment, goods and services, and employee volunteerism (on corporate time).
COVID-19    COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”)    Represents the rate of return that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance assuming the profits were reinvested at the end of each year of the investment’s lifespan.
EBITDA   

Calculated as net earnings (loss) before finance costs, income taxes and depreciation and amortization.

Greenfield    New project on a previously undeveloped site.
Greenhouse gas (“GHG”)    Gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation.
Latin America    South America, Central America, Caribbean and Mexico.
Lost-time injury frequency    Total lost-time injuries for every 200,000 hours worked for all Nutrien employees, contractors and others on site. Calculated as the total lost-time injuries multiplied by 200,000 hours worked divided by the actual number of hours worked.
Low-carbon ammonia    Ammonia made with direct GHG emissions typically reduced by approximately 60 percent but up to 80 percent compared to a conventional process, produced by primarily using carbon capture, utilization and storage (“CCUS”) or other low-emission production technologies; this definition does not include end product use.
Merger    The merger of equals transaction between PotashCorp and Agrium completed effective January 1, 2018, pursuant to which PotashCorp and Agrium combined their businesses pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act and became wholly owned subsidiaries of Nutrien Ltd.
North America    Canada and the US.
Offshore    All markets except Canada and the US.

 

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Definitions

     

 

Proportion of women in senior leadership    Senior leadership is defined as director level and above. Based on permanent full-time and part-time employees.
Serious injury and fatality    A work-related fatality or life-altering injury/illness experienced by an employee or directly supervised contractor conducting work on behalf of Nutrien.
Scope 1    Direct greenhouse gas emissions produced by Nutrien owned or controlled facilities.
Scope 2    Indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, heating, cooling and steam consumed by Nutrien owned or controlled facilities.
Scope 3    Indirect greenhouse gas emissions not included in Scope 2 emissions occurring as a consequence of the activities of Nutrien, from sources not owned or controlled by Nutrien, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Sustainable agriculture    According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, sustainable agriculture means increasing farm productivity while protecting natural resources and enhancing grower resilience.
Sustainable agriproduct program acres   

Our Carbon Program is also referred to as a Sustainable Agriproducts Program. Sustainable

agriproduct acres involve agronomic solutions leading to measurable outcomes such as carbon, soil or water, with the ability to validate and verify those outcomes.

Sustainably engaged acres    Acres participating in programs that track field level data which can be analyzed for sustainability metrics and/or acres participating in sustainable agriproducts programs that incentivize growers to adopt additional sustainable practices and products resulting in quantifiable, incremental benefits which may be verified and used for reporting purposes.
Total employee turnover rate    The number of permanent employees who left the Company due to voluntary and involuntary terminations, including retirements and deaths, as a percentage of average permanent employees for the year.
Total recordable injury frequency    Total recordable injuries for every 200,000 hours worked for all Nutrien employees, contractors and others on site. Calculated as the total recordable injuries multiplied by 200,000 hours worked divided by the actual number of hours worked.

 

   
148   Nutrien Annual Report 2023