DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

Retail MAP, Potash, Anhydrous Prices Jump 5%

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
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The average retail price of anhydrous fertilizer jumped to $450/ton this week, an increase of $28/ton, or 7%, compared to the same week last month. It was the steepest price jump this year. (DTN chart)

OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices were higher across the board for the third week of December 2020. It's the second week in a row that all eight major fertilizers were higher than the previous month.

Three fertilizers were up a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. MAP, potash and anhydrous were all 7% more expensive compared to the prior month. MAP had an average price of $522/ton, up $34; potash $360/ton, up $24; and anhydrous $450/ton, up $28.

The remaining five fertilizers were all just slightly higher in price compared to the prior month. DAP had an average price of $466/ton, up $11; urea $361/ton, up $3; 10-34-0 $463/ton, up $8; UAN28 $210/ton, up $3; and UAN32 $253/ton, up $4.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.39/lb.N, anhydrous $0.27/lb.N, UAN28 $0.38/lb.N and UAN32 $0.39/lb.N.

The end of the year is when many farmers will buy inputs for year-end tax planning purposes. Among the items they will buy is fertilizer for the next growing season.

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Don Batie, a farmer in Lexington, Nebraska, told DTN he is planning on booking fertilizer before the end of 2020. At the top of his list is UAN32, his main source of nitrogen fertilizer, and probably some 10-34-0 fertilizer as well.

Batie farms in central Nebraska's fertile Platte River Valley with soils that have a shallow water table, thus allowing fertilizer to move easily with rainfall. Because of this, fertilizer is only applied in the spring or during the growing season.

"We have no fall application at all," Batie said. "It's legal to apply after a certain point in the fall here, but nobody does."

There is also very little fieldwork done in the fall. Cattle graze all of the corn stalks in the region for most of the winter months, he said.

Despite no fall fertilizer application season, Batie said in his operation he is set up to apply fertilizer quickly in the spring.

Retail fertilizer prices continue to be mostly lower in price from a year ago but there are a couple exceptions. DAP is 5% higher while MAP is 14% more expensive compared to last year.

10-34-0 is 1% less expensive, urea is 4% lower, potash is 5% less expensive, anhydrous is 8% lower, UAN32 is 9% less expensive and UAN28 is 12% lower from last year at this time.

DTN collects roughly 1,700 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.

DTN Pro Grains subscribers can find current retail fertilizer price in the DTN Fertilizer Index on the Fertilizer page under Farm Business.

Retail fertilizer charts dating back to 2010 are available in the DTN fertilizer segment. The charts included cost of N/lb., DAP, MAP, potash, urea, 10-34-0, anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32.

DRY
Date Range DAP MAP POTASH UREA
Dec 16-20 2019 444 460 378 377
Jan 13-17 2020 433 444 375 357
Feb 10-14 2020 413 435 373 361
Mar 9-13 2020 407 432 370 377
Apr 6-10 2020 409 434 370 382
May 4-8 2020 413 433 370 388
Jun 1-5 2020 407 431 364 373
Jun 29-Jul 3 2020 406 427 361 357
Jul 27-31 2020 410 429 358 355
Aug 24-28 2020 430 435 352 355
Sep 21-25 2020 434 453 338 361
Oct 19-23 2020 446 476 332 359
Nov 16-20 2020 455 488 336 358
Dec 14-18 2020 466 522 360 361
LIQUID
Date Range 10-34-0 ANHYD UAN28 UAN32
Dec 16-20 2019 469 487 239 276
Jan 13-17 2020 470 487 237 275
Feb 10-14 2020 464 490 235 277
Mar 9-13 2020 466 490 235 278
Apr 6-10 2020 468 492 235 278
May 4-8 2020 468 492 237 280
Jun 1-5 2020 468 475 236 276
Jun 29-Jul 3 2020 468 461 233 272
Jul 27-31 2020 465 454 223 262
Aug 24-28 2020 464 442 219 258
Sep 21-25 2020 457 425 215 253
Oct 19-23 2020 456 424 209 249
Nov 16-20 2020 455 422 207 249
Dec 14-18 2020 463 450 210 253

Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

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Russ Quinn