DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

Fertilizer Prices Mixed First Week of June

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
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The average retail price of 10-34-0 the first week of June 2018 was $440 per ton, up about 2% from $431 per ton the first week of May 2018. (DTN chart)

OMAHA (DTN) -- For the second straight week, average retail fertilizer prices were mixed the first week of June 2018, according to sellers contacted by DTN. Following a historical seasonal trend, the softening prices appear to be due to lower demand as the fertilizer application season is generally wrapping up in many parts of the Corn Belt.

Half of the eight major fertilizer were slightly lower in price compared to last month. MAP had an average price of $505 per ton, urea $364/ton, anhydrous $503/ton and UAN28 $241/ton.

Prices for three fertilizers were slightly higher than they were the previous month. DAP had an average price of $484/ton, potash $354/ton and 10-34-0 $440/ton.

In addition, one fertilizer's price was unchanged from a month earlier. UAN32 had an average price of $276/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.40/lb.N, anhydrous $0.31/lb.N, UAN28 $0.43/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.

With retail fertilizer prices declining some in recent weeks, I thought it might be interesting to compare current prices with retail prices in three different periods. We will look back at three months ago, five months ago and seven months ago.

Three months earlier is the first week of March 2018. The differences between prices then and now (first week of June 2018) are in a fairly small range. DAP is $21 per ton more expensive and 10-34-0 is $18 per ton higher, but prices for the rest of the fertilizers are only a single-digit higher. One fertilizer, urea, is even slightly less expensive now compared to the first week of March.

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Five months ago is the first week of January 2018, the first week of the new year. The price difference per ton is a little more noticeable than when we compare to three months earlier.

Potash only has a single-digit difference ($9/ton more), but the rest of the fertilizers are double-digits more expensive. Urea was $14/ton more, MAP $15/ton, UAN32 $20/ton, UAN28 $22/ton, anhydrous $29/ton, 10-34-0 $31/ton and DAP $32/ton.

Now let's go back seven months to the first week of November 2017; this is when retail fertilizer prices were just starting their climb higher. At this point, there are larger price differences.

Two fertilizers had slight differences. UAN32 is only $4/ton higher while potash is $13/ton more expensive when comparing the two time periods. Differences for the remaining fertilizers are: UAN28 is $25/ton more, urea is $26/ton higher, 10-34-0 $37/ton higher, MAP $46/ton higher, DAP $50/ton higher and anhydrous is $94/ton more.

The take-home message here is retail fertilizer prices have started to decline, but they still have a way to go to get back to the price levels that were seen in the first week of November 2017. It will be interesting to see what occurs in the coming weeks and months.

Six of the eight major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year. Both 10-34-0 and anhydrous are now up 1%, potash is 4% higher, MAP and urea are 8% more expensive and DAP is 11% more expensive compared to last year.

The remaining two fertilizers are lower in price compared to a year prior. UAN32 is 1% lower, while UAN28 is 2% less expensive.

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 prices 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.

DTN's average of retail fertilizer prices from a month earlier ($ per ton):

DRY
Date Range DAP MAP POTASH UREA
Jun 5-9 2017 438 469 339 338
Jul 3-7 2017 436 467 339 325
Jul 31-Aug 4 2017 434 463 339 311
Aug 28-Sept 1 2017 433 457 338 303
Sep 15-29 2017 432 453 348 321
Oct 23-27 2017 431 453 347 325
Nov 20-24 2017 435 460 342 338
Dec 18-22 2017 445 485 344 348
Jan 15-19 2018 456 491 345 355
Feb 12-16 2018 457 495 345 357
Mar 12-16 2018 466 503 350 368
Apr 9-13 2018 482 504 353 369
May 7-11 2018 483 505 354 366
Jun 4-8 2018 484 505 354 364
LIQUID
Date Range 10-34-0 ANHYD UAN28 UAN32
Jun 5-9 2017 435 503 246 278
Jul 3-7 2017 432 462 236 268
Jul 31-Aug 4 2017 426 418 227 262
Aug 28-Sept 1 2017 418 417 215 248
Sep 15-29 2017 413 396 208 243
Oct 23-27 2017 407 393 205 262
Nov 20-24 2017 403 410 216 272
Dec 18-22 2017 405 461 218 254
Jan 15-19 2018 407 485 226 260
Feb 12-16 2018 415 492 230 264
Mar 12-16 2018 421 503 237 282
Apr 9-13 2018 427 510 241 275
May 7-11 2018 431 512 241 276
Jun 4-8 2018 440 503 241 276

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(CZ/AG)

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Russ Quinn