DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

Urea Continues to Shift Higher

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
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A lightning strike is thought to be the reason for a fire at the Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI) dry fertilizer facility in Hastings, Neb., last week. It had just opened last year and had a storage capacity of 42,000 tons. (DTN Photo by Linda Nellson)

OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail urea prices increased 5% compared to last month while the rest of the retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN were mixed.

According to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the third week of May 2019, urea had an average price of $428/ton, up $20 from the same time last month.

Five other fertilizers were higher than last month, although the move to the high side was fairly muted. DAP had an average price of $497/ton, fractionally higher; potash $392/ton, up $4; 10-34-0 $487/ton, up $4; anhydrous $595/ton, up $1; and UAN28 $270/ton, up $2.

The remaining two fertilizers were slightly lower compared to last month but again the move lower was small. MAP had an average price of $527/ton, down $3, and UAN32 $314/ton, down $1.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.47/lb.N, anhydrous $0.36/lb.N, UAN28 $0.48/lb.N and UAN32 $0.49/lb.N.

A lighting strike at a south-central Nebraska dry fertilizer facility last weekend set off a large fire which destroyed the facility and injured three truck drivers who were sleeping in the parking lot, according to an Associated Press (AP) article.

The fire was first reported at 11:30 p.m. CDT Thursday evening at the Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI), dry fertilizer plant in Hastings, Nebraska. Crews worked most of the night and contained the fire just before 4 a.m. Friday morning.

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Hastings Fire Chief Bob Hansen said no one was in the building when the fire started. The injured semi-truck drivers were treated and released from a local hospital.

Hansen said the plant was already fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Three other departments from nearby towns were called in to help fight the huge blaze, the AP article stated.

"We were utilizing every hydrant we could," Hansen said.

The CPI dry fertilizer facility just opened last year with a storage capacity of 42,000 tons of product. The preliminary damage estimate for the building is $14 million. The damage to the fertilizer inside of the building is estimated to be at another $5 million.

"I am very thankful and humbled by all of the outpouring of support we received from the community of Hastings as well as the leaders of various Nebraska cooperatives throughout the state. Their concern alone has given me more confidence in the future of the cooperative system," Allan Zumpfe, CPI CEO said in a press release on Friday. "We will rebuild this great facility and asset to our company."

All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year with prices shifting higher. DAP is 3% higher, MAP is 4% more expensive, both potash and 10-34-0 are all 11% higher, UAN28 is 12% more expensive; UAN32 is 14% higher and both urea and anhydrous are now 18% 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 21-25 2018 483 504 354 364
Jun 18-22 2018 485 505 354 364
Jul 16-20 2018 486 505 354 366
Aug 13-17 2018 487 508 356 363
Sep 10-14 2018 491 518 362 380
Oct 8-12 2018 501 523 365 393
Nov 5-9 2018 506 529 368 407
Dec 3-7 2018 501 529 369 410
Dec 31-Jan 4 2019 508 533 381 407
Jan 28-Feb 1 2019 513 536 384 407
Feb 25-Mar 01 2019 511 535 386 404
Mar 25-29 2019 509 534 385 401
Apr 22-26 2019 497 530 388 408
May 20-24 2019 497 527 392 428
Liquid
Date Range 10-34-0 ANHYD UAN28 UAN32
May 21-25 2018 439 504 241 276
Jun 18-22 2018 440 503 242 277
Jul 16-20 2018 442 503 243 279
Aug 13-17 2018 446 481 233 271
Sep 10-14 2018 449 487 238 278
Oct 8-12 2018 452 488 238 280
Nov 5-9 2018 458 517 245 287
Dec 3-7 2018 457 524 249 293
Dec 31-Jan 4 2019 460 571 267 304
Jan 28-Feb 1 2019 468 585 271 313
Feb 25-Mar 01 2019 470 596 270 318
Mar 25-29 2019 470 597 269 318
Apr 22-26 2019 483 594 268 315
May 20-24 2019 487 595 270 314

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(KD/CZ)

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Russ Quinn