DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- Average retail prices for all eight of the major fertilizers were higher the third week of January 2021 compared to last month, according to retailers surveyed by DTN. The trend of all eight major fertilizers' prices being higher has been seen on and off again in the last couple of months.

Three of the fertilizers were up a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. Urea was up 7% compared to last month with an average price of $387 per ton.

Also higher were MAP and anhydrous, which were both up 5% from last month. MAP had an average price of $563/ton, while anhydrous was at $482/ton.

Of the remaining five fertilizers, the average price of DAP, potash and 10-34-0 each increased by 4%. DAP had an average price of $493/ton, up $19/ton; potash was $379/ton, up $14/ton; and 10-34-0 was $481/ton, up $18/ton.

The average price of UAN28 was $215/ton, an increase of $5/ton from the prior month, while UAN32 was $251/ton, $1/ton more expensive than last month.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.42/lb.N, anhydrous $0.29/lb.N, UAN28 $0.38/lb.N and UAN32 $0.39/lb.N.

Retail fertilizer prices have climbed steadily over the past couple of months. Mark Rohrich, who owns Maverick Ag in Ashley, North Dakota, said farmers applied a lot of fertilizer this fall after harvest, and that shrank the supply of some fertilizers and caused prices to rise.

"Lots of MAP and other fertilizers went on this fall up here, so that tightened up supplies, regionally anyway," Rohrich told DTN.

Fertilizers will also trend up with the rally in corn prices. This happens partly due to use-based situations and partly because everyone wants a piece of the profit, he said.

Rohrich, who also farms, said higher fertilizer prices look to be in place for the near term.

"One could only guess how long fertilizer and grain will hold higher, but I think fertilizer will go higher before it goes lower," he said.

With retail fertilizer prices moving up over recent months, most fertilizers are now higher in price from a year ago, but there are a few exceptions. Potash is 1% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 2% higher, urea is 8% more expensive, DAP is 19% higher and MAP is 29% more expensive compared to last year.

Three fertilizers are lower. Anhydrous is 1% lower, while both UAN28 and UAN32 are 9% less expensive 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
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
Jan 18-22 2021	493	563	379	387
LIQUID
Date Range	10-34-0	ANHYD	UAN28	UAN32
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
Jan 18-22 2021	481	482	215	251

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(c) Copyright 2021 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.