DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

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.

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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