DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

Prices for Most Fertilizers Continue Higher

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
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UAN28 prices remained steady in the latest reporting week. (DTN chart)

OMAHA (DTN) -- Average retail fertilizer prices continue to be mostly higher the fourth week of December 2020, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. Seven of the eight major fertilizers are higher from the previous month.

Prices for three fertilizers increased a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. Anhydrous was 9% more expensive compared to the prior month with an average price of $461 per ton.

Both MAP and potash were 8% higher in price looking back to last month. MAP had an average price of $535/ton while potash $365/ton.

Four fertilizers were just slightly higher in price compared to prior month. DAP had an average price of $474/ton, urea $363/ton, 10-34-0 $463/ton and UAN32 $250/ton.

The remaining fertilizer, UAN28, was unchanged in price from last month. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $210/ton.

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On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.39/lb.N, anhydrous $0.28/lb.N, UAN28 $0.37/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.

Jay Leeper, a farmer from Alva, Oklahoma, told DTN he locked in some nitrogen fertilizer for his wheat crop. He will top dress his winter wheat with UAN28 in the February-March timeframe.

Leeper has some on-farm storage for fertilizer, which gives him added flexibility. He utilizes the storage so he can take advantage of a better price by having it delivered over just pre-ordering nutrients.

"What I'm going to store is UAN28 because it will not salt out like UAN32 and freeze," Leeper said.

Retail fertilizer prices continue to be mostly lower in price from a year ago, but there are a couple exceptions. DAP is 7% higher while MAP is 18% more expensive compared to last year.

10-34-0 is 1% less expensive, potash is 3% lower, urea is 4% less expensive, anhydrous is 6% lower, UAN32 is 9% less expensive and UAN28 is 13% 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 23-27 2019 443 454 377 378
Jan 20-24 2020 413 435 374 357
Feb 17-21 2020 410 435 373 361
Mar 16-20 2020 408 433 370 382
Apr 13-17 2020 410 433 370 384
May 11-15 2020 413 433 370 388
Jun 8-12 2020 406 430 363 367
Jul 6-10 2020 405 427 360 360
Aug 3-7 2020 416 430 357 354
Aug 31-Sep 4 2020 431 442 348 361
Sep 28-Oct 2 2020 439 459 338 362
Oct 26-30 2020 448 477 332 358
Nov 23-27 2020 456 495 337 359
Dec 21-25 2020 474 535 365 363
LIQUID
Date Range 10-34-0 ANHYD UAN28 UAN32
Dec 23-27 2019 469 488 240 276
Jan 20-24 2020 470 487 237 275
Feb 17-21 2020 464 490 235 277
Mar 16-20 2020 466 491 235 278
Apr 13-17 2020 468 492 236 279
May 11-15 2020 468 492 237 280
Jun 8-12 2020 468 472 235 276
Jul 6-10 2020 467 461 233 272
Aug 3-7 2020 465 455 222 262
Aug 31-Sep 4 2020 459 436 216 254
Sep 28-Oct 2 2020 457 424 212 250
Oct 26-30 2020 456 423 209 249
Nov 23-27 2020 457 424 210 249
Dec 21-25 2020 463 461 210 250

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

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Russ Quinn