Mosaic misses fourth-quarter profit estimates on lower sales, prices

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Feb 27 (Reuters) - Fertilizer producer Mosaic MOS.N missed Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, hurt by lower potash prices and sales.

Crop prices, including those of soybean, wheat and corn, have been falling over recent quarters due to oversupply and weakening demand, forcing farmers to curtail spending, impacting firms such as Mosaic.

The company's quarterly net sales volume in its potash segment was at 2.2 million tonnes, down about 15% from a year earlier, while average sales price fell 18% to $199 per tonne .

The company had flagged in December its phosphate and potash sales volume fell in the first two months of the fourth quarter.

Phosphate volume was hit by issues related to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, while potash volume fell due to delays caused by rail and port strikes in Canada.

Quarterly sales for Mosaic's potash segment was down 25% from a year earlier at $600 million, while adjusted core profit for the segment was down 24% at $95 million.

Earnings were also pressured by its Mosaic Fertilizantes segment, which saw adjusted core profit down 27% at $37 million.

The Tampa, Florida-based company reported adjusted earnings of 45 cents per share for the quarter ended December 31, compared with analysts' average estimate of 57 cents according to data compiled by LSEG.