By Russ Quinn
DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) -- Fertilizer prices continued to hold fairly steady for the second week in a row, according to retailers contacted by DTN during the third week of April.
As was the case last week, four fertilizers were higher priced while the other four fertilizers were lower priced compared to last month.
None of the fertilizer prices changed by any consequence. DAP averaged $477/ton, MAP $502/ton, anhydrous $588/ton and UAN32 $322/ton.
The remaining four fertilizers were down a small amount compared to the month earlier. Potash averaged $366/ton, urea $388/ton, 10-34-0 $561/ton and UAN28 $274/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, urea averaged $0.42/lb.N, anhydrous $0.36/lb.N, UAN28 $0.49/lb.N and UAN32 $0.50/lb.N.
In the northern Corn Belt, spring planting has not fully begun. Andy Barta, assistant general manager for Rio Creek Feed Mill located in Algoma, Wisconsin, said some wheat had been top dressed and oats seeded in his northeast Wisconsin area but no corn has been planted yet.
Barta said it has been a relatively quiet season in terms of farmers pre-ordering fertilizer. Normally about three-quarters of his customers lock in some fertilizer during the end of the year and into winter months.
"This year we only had maybe 40% to 50% of our customers lock in fertilizer," Barta told DTN. "It was a combination of low grain and milk prices as well as farmers thinking fertilizer prices were going to fall."
As far as which direction retail prices could be heading, Barta said he believes there could be some in-season jumps with fertilizer this spring. These increases could be in the range of $10 to $30/ton and if there were some supply concerns these increases could be even more, he said.
Longer term, Barta said retail prices could drop some after the spring application season and after side dressing is completed.
"My gut says prices could sag some, especially if more soybeans are planted around here," he said. "Less corn acres would certain lower nitrogen prices."
Fertilizer prices tracked by DTN appear to have bottomed in late February. For example, average anhydrous prices have climbed more than $50/ton since then. But at the moment, all fertilizers remain double-digits lower in price compared to a year earlier.
UAN32 is 13% lower while both urea and 10-34-0 are 14% less expensive from a year ago. In addition, DAP and MAP are both 16% lower, anhydrous and UAN28 are 17% less expensive and potash is 26% lower.
DTN collects roughly 1,700 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.
DTN Pro Grains subscribers can find current retail fertilizer price in the DTN Fertilizer Index on the Fertilizer page under Farm Business.
Retail fertilizer charts dating back to November 2008 are available in the DTN fertilizer segment. The charts included cost of N/lb., DAP, MAP, potash, urea, 10-34-0, anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32.
DTN's average of retail fertilizer prices from a month earlier ($ per ton):
| DRY |
| Date Range | DAP | MAP | POTASH | UREA |
| Apr 20-24 2015 | 570 | 598 | 491 | 453 |
| May 18-22 2015 | 570 | 597 | 492 | 459 |
| June 15-19 2015 | 571 | 597 | 490 | 467 |
| July 13-17 2015 | 569 | 593 | 488 | 470 |
| Aug 10-14 2015 | 568 | 591 | 479 | 457 |
| Sep 7-11 2015 | 563 | 580 | 467 | 433 |
| Oct 5-9 2015 | 548 | 564 | 446 | 418 |
| Nov 2-6 2015 | 546 | 560 | 430 | 405 |
| Nov 30-Dec 4 2015 | 541 | 559 | 421 | 400 |
| Dec 28-Jan 1 2016 | 494 | 531 | 398 | 383 |
| Jan 25-29 2016 | 495 | 515 | 391 | 380 |
| Feb 22-26 2016 | 477 | 492 | 373 | 371 |
| Mar 21-25 2016 | 475 | 501 | 371 | 390 |
| Apr 18-22 2016 | 477 | 502 | 366 | 388 |
| Liquid |
| Date Range | 10-34-0 | ANHYD | UAN28 | UAN32 |
| Apr 20-24 2015 | 650 | 711 | 329 | 371 |
| May 18-22 2015 | 650 | 710 | 332 | 372 |
| June 15-19 2015 | 642 | 706 | 330 | 369 |
| July 13-17 2015 | 639 | 691 | 323 | 359 |
| Aug 10-14 2015 | 631 | 677 | 315 | 356 |
| Sep 7-11 2015 | 594 | 656 | 301 | 346 |
| Oct 5-9 2015 | 584 | 639 | 294 | 338 |
| Nov 2-6 2015 | 583 | 633 | 291 | 332 |
| Nov 30-Dec 4 2015 | 578 | 627 | 286 | 332 |
| Dec 28-Jan 1 2016 | 570 | 590 | 273 | 317 |
| Jan 25-29 2016 | 571 | 569 | 271 | 317 |
| Feb 22-26 2016 | 566 | 536 | 260 | 309 |
| Mar 21-25 2016 | 561 | 569 | 276 | 312 |
| Apr 18-22 2016 | 561 | 588 | 274 | 322 |
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN
(MZT/CZ)
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