DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends
Some Fertilizers Near 7-Year Lows
OMAHA (DTN) -- Fertilizer prices continued to drift lower the fourth week of November 2015, according to retailers tracked by DTN. Some fertilizer retail prices are at or are closing in on historic lows.
All of the eight major fertilizers slipped lower compared to a month earlier, but none were down significantly. DAP has an average price of $543 per ton, MAP $556/ton, potash $422/ton, urea $397/ton, 10-34-0 $580/ton, anhydrous $624/ton, UAN28 $286/ton and UAN32 $325/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.43/lb.N, anhydrous $0.38/lb.N, UAN28 $0.51/lb.N and UAN32 $0.51/lb.N.
While fertilizers and other inputs have been slow to adjust to the crash in commodity prices since 2012, some are breaking new ground: Weekly DTN surveys of national average retail fertilizer prices since November 2008 show lows for most fertilizers were seen in either 2009 or 2010, with three lows set in November 2009 alone.
However, there were a couple exceptions. One would be potash, which is at the lowest price in more than seven years. Last week's price of $422 per ton is now DTN's all-time low for potash. Before this recent move, the lowest price in our dataset occurred in August 2010 with an average of $467 per ton.
Another fertilizer nearing a DTN all-time low would be urea. The nitrogen fertilizer, with an average last week of $397 per ton, dropped below $400 per ton for the first time since June 2009 when the average price was at $390 per ton. The all-time low for urea is $375 per ton in October 2009.
The remaining six fertilizers all have current retail prices which will have to move considerably to reach record lows.
P[L1] D[0x0] M[300x250] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]
DAP, with an average price of $543/ton now, has a seven-year low of $362/ton reached during the second week of November 2009. MAP, with an average price of $556/ton now, reached its low of $386/ton the first week of November 2009.
10-34-0, with an average price of $580/ton currently, is nowhere near its low of $381/ton seen the fourth week of December 2009. Anhydrous, with a current price of $624/ton, has a low of $410/ton seen on the first week of November 2009.
UAN28, with the current price of $286/ton, has a low price of $199/ton from third week of August 2009. UAN32, currently at $325/ton, has a low of $231/ton seen the first week of September 2009.
With retail fertilizer moving lower in recent months, only one fertilizer is now higher compared to a year earlier. 10-34-0 is 3% higher than last year.
The remaining seven nutrients are now lower compared to retail prices from a year ago. DAP is now 6% lower, MAP is 7% less expensive and UAN28 is 11% lower. Anhydrous, potash and UAN32 are all 12% less expensive while urea is 19% less expensive from a year earlier.
DTN collects roughly 1,700 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.
DTN Pro Grains subscribers can find current retail fertilizer price in the DTN Fertilizer Index on the Fertilizer page under Farm Business.
Retail fertilizer charts dating back to November 2008 are available in the DTN fertilizer segment. The charts included cost of N/lb., DAP, MAP, potash, urea, 10-34-0, anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32.
DTN's average of retail fertilizer prices from a month earlier ($ per ton):
DRY | ||||
Date Range | DAP | MAP | POTASH | UREA |
Nov 24-28 2014 | 576 | 595 | 480 | 492 |
Dec 22-26 2014 | 566 | 593 | 485 | 462 |
Jan 19-23 2015 | 568 | 596 | 487 | 469 |
Feb 16-20 2015 | 568 | 597 | 495 | 472 |
Mar 16-20 2015 | 570 | 597 | 490 | 470 |
Apr 13-17 2015 | 570 | 598 | 491 | 453 |
May 11-15 2015 | 570 | 598 | 491 | 457 |
June 8-12 2015 | 571 | 598 | 491 | 461 |
July 6-10 2015 | 570 | 596 | 489 | 470 |
Aug 3-7 2015 | 567 | 591 | 482 | 464 |
Aug 31-Sept 4 2015 | 564 | 583 | 471 | 439 |
Sept 28-Oct 2 2015 | 561 | 573 | 450 | 424 |
Oct 26-30 2015 | 546 | 562 | 431 | 409 |
Nov 23-27 2015 | 543 | 556 | 422 | 397 |
LIQUID | ||||
Date Range | 10-34-0 | ANHYD | UAN28 | UAN32 |
Nov 24-28 2014 | 564 | 712 | 323 | 368 |
Dec 22-26 2014 | 573 | 706 | 320 | 362 |
Jan 19-23 2015 | 585 | 707 | 326 | 367 |
Feb 16-20 2015 | 593 | 706 | 330 | 370 |
Mar 16-20 2015 | 614 | 705 | 332 | 368 |
Apr 13-17 2015 | 649 | 711 | 332 | 370 |
May 11-15 2015 | 653 | 711 | 331 | 371 |
June 8-12 2015 | 649 | 709 | 331 | 371 |
July 6-10 2015 | 640 | 695 | 327 | 366 |
Aug 3-7 2015 | 628 | 677 | 318 | 354 |
Aug 31-Sept 4 2015 | 602 | 659 | 304 | 349 |
Sept 28-Oct 2 2015 | 594 | 644 | 295 | 342 |
Oct 26-30 2015 | 583 | 638 | 292 | 334 |
Nov 23-27 2015 | 580 | 624 | 286 | 325 |
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
Follow Russ Quinn on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN
(MZT/AG)
Copyright 2015 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.