By Russ Quinn
DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) -- More retail fertilizer prices are lower than higher for the first time in several months, according to prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of August 2018. Prices for five of the eight major fertilizers declined compared to last month, while the remaining three were still higher.
The moves in either direction were fairly small. Moving lower were DAP, which had an average price of $487 per ton, urea $365/ton, anhydrous $480/ton, UAN28 $233/ton and UAN32 $271/ton.
The remaining three fertilizers were slightly higher compared to last month. MAP had an average price of $513/ton, potash $357/ton and 10-34-0 $446/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.40/lb.N, anhydrous $0.29/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.42/lb.N.
While retail fertilizer prices appear to be moving lower, some farmers are experiencing sticker shock when pricing fall fertilizer, especially anhydrous.
Mike Carlson, a farmer from Red Oak, Iowa, told DTN that when he called his local fertilizer retailer recently, he discovered anhydrous prices were about $100 per ton more than what he paid last year at the same time. The average retail price for anhydrous tracked by DTN is $63/ton higher than last year.
"I got a lot of excuses (for higher anhydrous prices)," Carlson told DTN. "Tariffs, demand versus supply, more corn acres because of low bean prices, etc., so basically it's higher because they can."
Carlson said he normally books anhydrous prices this time of year because this is when it is usually the least expensive, but that doesn't appear to be the case this year, he said.
The southwestern Iowa farmer said he will also apply phosphorous (P) and potash (K) in the fall so the fertilizer has a chance to be worked in by the weather. Fall prices for these nutrients also tend to be lower, but he hasn't booked any yet.
"No input (prices) are going down and it's becoming a serious problem," he said.
All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year with prices shifting higher in recent months. Potash is 6% higher, 10-34-0 is 7% more expensive, both UAN28 and UAN32 are 9% higher, both MAP and DAP are 12% higher, anhydrous is 15% higher and urea is 20% more expensive compared to last year.
DTN collects roughly 1,700 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.
DTN Pro Grains subscribers can find current retail fertilizer price in the DTN Fertilizer Index on the Fertilizer page under Farm Business.
Retail fertilizer charts dating back to 2010 are available in the DTN fertilizer segment. The charts included cost of N/lb., DAP, MAP, potash, urea, 10-34-0, anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32.
DTN's average of retail fertilizer prices from a month earlier ($ per ton):
| DRY |
| Date Range | DAP | MAP | POTASH | UREA |
| Aug 28-Sept 1 2017 | 433 | 457 | 338 | 303 |
| Sep 15-29 2017 | 432 | 453 | 348 | 321 |
| Oct 23-27 2017 | 431 | 453 | 347 | 325 |
| Nov 20-24 2017 | 435 | 460 | 342 | 338 |
| Dec 18-22 2017 | 445 | 485 | 344 | 348 |
| Jan 15-19 2018 | 456 | 491 | 345 | 355 |
| Feb 12-16 2018 | 457 | 495 | 345 | 357 |
| Mar 12-16 2018 | 466 | 503 | 350 | 368 |
| Apr 9-13 2018 | 482 | 504 | 353 | 369 |
| May 7-11 2018 | 483 | 505 | 354 | 366 |
| Jun 4-8 2018 | 484 | 505 | 354 | 364 |
| Jul 2-6 2018 | 485 | 504 | 354 | 366 |
| Jul 30- Aug 3 2018 | 488 | 505 | 355 | 366 |
| Aug 27-31 2018 | 487 | 513 | 357 | 365 |
| LIQUID |
| Date Range | 10-34-0 | ANHYD | UAN28 | UAN32 |
| Aug 28-Sept 1 2017 | 418 | 417 | 215 | 248 |
| Sep 15-29 2017 | 413 | 396 | 208 | 243 |
| Oct 23-27 2017 | 407 | 393 | 205 | 262 |
| Nov 20-24 2017 | 403 | 410 | 216 | 272 |
| Dec 18-22 2017 | 405 | 461 | 218 | 254 |
| Jan 15-19 2018 | 407 | 485 | 226 | 260 |
| Feb 12-16 2018 | 415 | 492 | 230 | 264 |
| Mar 12-16 2018 | 421 | 503 | 237 | 282 |
| Apr 9-13 2018 | 427 | 510 | 241 | 275 |
| May 7-11 2018 | 431 | 512 | 241 | 276 |
| Jun 4-8 2018 | 440 | 503 | 241 | 276 |
| Jul 2-6 2018 | 443 | 505 | 242 | 279 |
| Jul 30- Aug 3 2018 | 443 | 498 | 242 | 279 |
| Aug 27-31 2018 | 446 | 480 | 233 | 271 |
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
(KD/AG)
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