DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices continued to be fairly steady the second week of May 2019, although one spiked higher, according to retailers surveyed by DTN.

Like the last two weeks, prices for four of the eight major fertilizers were higher, while the other four were lower than last month. But, unlike the last few weeks, one fertilizer was considerably higher.

Urea was 5% more expensive compared to the second week of April, up $22 per ton with an average price of $426/ton. This marks the first time since the second week of February a fertilizer has seen a significant price move, which DTN considers 5% or more.

The remaining three fertilizers with higher prices saw more marginal increases. Potash had an average price $392/ton, up $4; 10-34-0 $487/ton, up $6; and anhydrous $595/ton, up $1.

The remaining four fertilizers were slightly lower looking back to the prior month. DAP had an average price of $498/ton, $6 lower; MAP $526/ton, down $5; UAN28 $267/ton, $3 lower; and UAN32 $311/ton, down $6.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.46/lb.N, anhydrous $0.36/lb.N, UAN28 $0.48/lb.N and UAN32 $0.49/lb.N.

A potential reason why urea prices are shifting higher is the historic flooding along the Mississippi River has caused barge traffic to grind to a halt, according to an Associated Press article.

Farmers in more than a dozen states in the Mississippi River Basin normally would be sending soybeans, corn and other grains down the river to the Gulf of Mexico where they could be exported. Meanwhile, shipments of fertilizer that normally travel up the river to communities from St. Louis, Missouri, to St. Paul, Minnesota, haven't made it through because of the flooding.

Many of the locks and dams on the Mississippi that closed due to flooding beginning back in March have reopened. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doesn't expect the river to be fully unimpeded until possibly June.

Even if the locks were open, "Many of these barges wouldn't be able to get here anyway," Sam Heilig, a Corps spokesperson at Rock Island, Illinois, said in the AP article. "Because the water's so high, there's not enough clearance to get under some of the bridges."

The Mississippi River flooding also affects the other rivers that flow into it. The Missouri River has remained mostly navigable right up until it meets the Mississippi River at St. Louis. This has disrupted shipments from farmers in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri trying to get their grain down and fertilizer up the river.

All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year. DAP is 3% higher; MAP is 4% more expensive; potash, 10-34-0 and UAN28 are all 11% higher; UAN32 is 13% more expensive; urea is 16% higher and anhydrous is 17% more expensive 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
May 14-18 2018	483	505	354	368
Jun 11-15 2018	484	505	354	364
Jul 9-13 2018	485	504	354	366
Aug 6-10 2018	487	507	356	363
Sep 3-7 2018	488	514	358	366
Oct 1-5 2018	501	523	364	389
Oct 29-Nov 2 2018	506	528	366	408
Nov 26-30 2018	501	530	369	409
Dec 24-28 2018	507	533	379	407
Jan 21-25 2019	512	535	383	409
Feb 18-22 2019	512	536	385	404
Mar 18-22 2019	509	533	386	401
Apr 15-19 2019	504	531	388	404
May 13-17 2019	498	526	392	426
LIQUID
Date Range	10-34-0	ANHYD	UAN28	UAN32
May 14-18 2018	439	510	241	276
Jun 11-15 2018	440	503	241	277
Jul 9-13 2018	443	505	242	279
Aug 6-10 2018	445	482	233	271
Sep 3-7 2018	446	480	232	271
Oct 1-5 2018	451	488	237	279
Oct 29-Nov 2 2018	457	505	245	285
Nov 26-30 2018	457	519	246	287
Dec 24-28 2018	457	568	266	303
Jan 21-25 2019	467	584	270	313
Feb 18-22 2019	470	596	271	317
Mar 18-22 2019	470	597	270	318
Apr 15-19 2019	481	594	270	317
May 13-17 2019	487	595	267	311

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(KD/AG)

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