DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

Urea Prices Drop 11% as Fertilizer Prices Slip Lower

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
Connect with Russ:
The average retail price of anhydrous was $1,466 per ton in the fourth week of June, $63/ton less than in May. The nitrogen fertilizer is about twice as expensive as it was this time last year. (DTN chart)

OMAHA (DTN) -- Average retail fertilizer prices continued to be mostly lower the fourth week of June 2022, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. This trend has been in place for five weeks now.

Prices for all but one of the eight major fertilizers were lower compared to last month, with only one fertilizer down considerably. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

Urea was 11% lower compared to last month. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $867 per ton. The nitrogen fertilizer dropped below $900/ton for the first time since the last week of February 2022 when the price was $887/ton.

DAP had an average price of $1,039/ton, MAP $1,053/ton, 10-34-0 $904/ton, anhydrous $1,466/ton, UAN28 $611/ton and UAN28 $702/ton.

One fertilizer was slightly more expensive compared to last month but nothing sizeable. Potash had an average price of $885/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.94/lb.N, anhydrous $0.89/lb.N, UAN28 $1.09/lb.N and UAN32 $1.10/lb.N.

A recently released ag economy index showed farmers continue to be concerned about rising input prices. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer was down 2 points to 97 (https://ag.purdue.edu/…).

The index of Future Expectations fell 5 points to 96, marking the lowest level for the index since October of 2016.

"Rising input costs and uncertainty about the future continue to weigh on farmer sentiment," said James Mintert, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue's Center for Commercial Agriculture. "Many producers remain concerned about the ongoing escalation in production costs as well as commodity price volatility, which could lead to a cost/income squeeze in 2023."

The top concern for producers in the upcoming year continues to be input prices (43%), followed by input availability (21%), government policies (18%) and lower output prices (17%).

Most fertilizer prices are considerably higher than one year ago.

10-34-0 is 45% more expensive, MAP is 46% higher, DAP is 54% more expensive, urea 60% higher, both UAN28 and UAN32 is 67% more expensive, potash is 86% higher and anhydrous is 101% higher compared to last year.

DTN gathers fertilizer price bids from agriculture retailers each week to compile the DTN Fertilizer Index. DTN first began reporting data in November 2008.

With lower fertilizer prices in the third week of June, it is almost a return to "normal" times with lower fertilizer prices after the spring planting/fertilizer application seasons. You can read it here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

DRY
Date Range DAP MAP POTASH UREA
Jun 28-Jul 2 2021 677 721 476 542
Jul 26-30 2021 695 753 549 554
Aug 23-27 2021 697 756 569 557
Sep 20-24 2021 709 786 625 585
Oct 18-22 2021 810 863 716 735
Nov 15-19 2021 825 911 769 859
Dec 13-17 2021 858 935 796 901
Jan 10-14 2022 863 932 807 913
Feb 7-11 2022 876 935 815 905
Mar 7-11 2022 919 955 822 901
Apr 4-8 2022 1040 1056 875 1031
May 2-6 2022 1057 1081 881 1001
May 30-Jun 3 2022 1056 1079 880 979
Jun 27-Jul 1 2022 1039 1053 885 867
LIQUID
Date Range 10-34-0 ANHYD UAN28 UAN32
Jun 28-Jul 2 2021 625 730 366 421
Jul 26-30 2021 631 737 365 419
Aug 23-27 2021 632 748 370 420
Sep 20-24 2021 633 772 383 436
Oct 18-22 2021 659 940 451 492
Nov 15-19 2021 739 1220 571 651
Dec 13-17 2021 790 1420 579 663
Jan 10-14 2022 796 1430 584 679
Feb 7-11 2022 827 1487 600 699
Mar 7-11 2022 866 1490 603 704
Apr 4-8 2022 901 1534 629 729
May 2-6 2022 906 1534 631 730
May 30-Jun 3 2022 905 1529 633 731
Jun 27-Jul 1 2022 904 1466 611 702

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

Russ Quinn