DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends
Fertilizer Prices Continue to Hold Steady
OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the third week of July 2019 show prices continue to be mixed, but more fertilizers had slightly lower prices than higher prices compared to last month.
Five fertilizers were lower compared to the previous month with none down a significant amount, which DTN considers 5% or more. MAP had an average price of $532/ton, down less than $1; urea $430/ton, down $5; 10-34-0 $584/ton, down $2; anhydrous $585/ton, down $4; and UAN32 $317/ton, down $1.
Three fertilizers were slightly higher compared to last month, but again the move higher was fairly slight. DAP had an average price of $497/ton, up $1; potash $392/ton, up less than $1; and UAN28 $275/ton, up $5.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.47/lb.N, anhydrous $0.36/lb.N, UAN28 $0.49/lb.N and UAN32 $0.50/lb.N.
I often find it interesting to take a closer look at retail fertilizer price changes within the last year. Some years there can be large differences in prices looking back three, six and nine months, but this is not one of these years.
One feature of the retail fertilizer prices in recent months is how steady they've been. The largest price move over the last nine months was anhydrous with an $86/ton gain.
The nitrogen fertilizer had an average retail price nine months ago (third week of October 2018) of $499/ton. Last week the price was at $584/ton, a difference of $86/ton. The price six months ago (third week of January 2019) was at $584/ton, only a $1/ton difference, and three months ago (the third week of April 2019) the price was at $594/ton, which was only a $9/ton difference.
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The fertilizer with the least price difference in the past year was MAP.
The phosphorous fertilizer price was $532/ton last week, and nine months ago the average price was $518/ton, just $14/ton less. Six months ago, the average price was $535/ton, a $3/ton difference, and three months ago the price was $531/ton, just a $1/ton difference.
Seven of the eight major fertilizer had prices mostly lower looking back at those intervals. The only fertilizer with higher prices looking back at all three time frames was DAP.
DAP's average price last week was at $497/ton, but nine months ago it was $498/ton, just a $1/ton difference. Six months ago the price was $512/ton, a difference of $15/ton, and at three months ago the price was $504/ton, a difference of $7/ton.
While $86/ton can certainly add to farmers' total fertilizer costs, it is not as bad as the hundreds-of-dollars per ton differences we have seen in the past. The fact there was no move higher than $100 shows just how steady retail fertilizer prices have been the last nine months.
All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year. DAP is 2% higher, MAP is 5% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 10% higher, potash is 11% more expensive, both UAN28 and UAN32 are now 14% higher, anhydrous is 16% more expensive and urea is 18% higher compared to last year.
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 |
Jul 16-20 2018 | 486 | 505 | 354 | 366 |
Aug 13-17 2018 | 487 | 508 | 356 | 363 |
Sep 10-14 2018 | 491 | 518 | 362 | 380 |
Oct 8-12 2018 | 501 | 523 | 365 | 393 |
Nov 5-9 2018 | 506 | 529 | 368 | 407 |
Dec 3-7 2018 | 501 | 529 | 369 | 410 |
Dec 31-Jan 4 2019 | 508 | 533 | 381 | 407 |
Jan 28-Feb 1 2019 | 513 | 536 | 384 | 407 |
Feb 25-Mar 01 2019 | 511 | 535 | 386 | 404 |
Mar 25-29 2019 | 509 | 534 | 385 | 401 |
Apr 22-26 2019 | 497 | 530 | 388 | 408 |
May 20-24 2019 | 497 | 527 | 392 | 428 |
Jun 17-21 2019 | 496 | 532 | 392 | 435 |
Jul 15-19, 2019 | 497 | 532 | 392 | 430 |
Liquid | ||||
Date Range | 10-34-0 | ANHYD | UAN28 | UAN32 |
Jul 16-20 2018 | 442 | 503 | 243 | 279 |
Aug 13-17 2018 | 446 | 481 | 233 | 271 |
Sep 10-14 2018 | 449 | 487 | 238 | 278 |
Oct 8-12 2018 | 452 | 488 | 238 | 280 |
Nov 5-9 2018 | 458 | 517 | 245 | 287 |
Dec 3-7 2018 | 457 | 524 | 249 | 293 |
Dec 31-Jan 4 2019 | 460 | 571 | 267 | 304 |
Jan 28-Feb 1 2019 | 468 | 585 | 271 | 313 |
Feb 25-Mar 01 2019 | 470 | 596 | 270 | 318 |
Mar 25-29 2019 | 470 | 597 | 269 | 318 |
Apr 22-26 2019 | 483 | 594 | 268 | 315 |
May 20-24 2019 | 487 | 595 | 270 | 314 |
Jun 17-21 2019 | 487 | 589 | 270 | 318 |
Jul 15-19, 2019 | 485 | 585 | 275 | 317 |
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN
(KD/CZ)
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