By Russ Quinn
DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices continue to be fairly mixed, according to prices tracked by DTN for the third week of April 2019. This trend has been in place for several weeks.
Half of the eight major fertilizers' prices were higher compared to last month. As has been the case in recent weeks, the move higher was slight. Potash had an average price of $388/ton, urea $404/ton, 10-34-0 $481/ton and UAN28 $270/ton.
The remaining four fertilizers were lower compared to the prior month, but again the falling price was insignificant. DAP had an average price of $504/ton, MAP $531/ton, anhydrous $594/ton and UAN32 $317/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.44/lb.N, anhydrous $0.36/lb.N, UAN28 $0.48/lb.N and UAN32 $0.50/lb.N.
ISSUES WITH ANHYDROUS SUPPLY
As the fertilizer application season progresses, farmers have reported some issues with supply as many people are attempting to apply anhydrous.
Ted Hamer, who farms near Traer, Iowa, reported he was limited to 6 tons a day of anhydrous last week. This would keep him running for 1 hour and 45 minutes with a large applicator covering about 70 acres, he said.
"This is about 15% of what I would cover in a normal day," Hamer told DTN.
He hoped for better luck this week, but more issues with anhydrous supplies has continued. He was told he could get more anhydrous, but once he got to his retailer there was nothing available.
With this mind, he has switched his game plan and is applying some UAN and will then plant corn. He will come back later and sidedress anhydrous when the supply is more readily available, he said.
Hamer said he will sidedress about 40% of total corn acres. This second application of nitrogen usually works well, unless it's extremely wet during the period of time of sidedressing, he said.
Another possible reason there are issues with anhydrous supplies in his area of east-central Iowa is because the rural roads are in such bad condition, Hamer speculated. Frustrations are high because more fuel is being used just to get the fertilizer to the fields, and the rough road conditions are tough on the trucks hauling fertilizer.
"We had a guy delivering our tanks with a diesel pickup and the transmission on the truck had gotten so hot from driving through the soft spots in the road it just shut down," he said.
HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR
All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year, with prices shifting higher. MAP is 4% more expensive, DAP is 6% higher, both urea and potash are 10% more expensive, both 10-34-0 and UAN28 are 12% higher, UAN32 is 15% more expensive and anhydrous is 17% higher 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 |
| Apr 16-20 2018 | 484 | 502 | 353 | 368 |
| May 14-18 2018 | 483 | 505 | 354 | 368 |
| Jun 11-15 2018 | 484 | 505 | 354 | 364 |
| Jul 9-13 2018 | 485 | 504 | 354 | 366 |
| Aug 6-10 2018 | 487 | 507 | 356 | 363 |
| Sep 3-7 2018 | 488 | 514 | 358 | 366 |
| Oct 1-5 2018 | 501 | 523 | 364 | 389 |
| Oct 29-Nov 2 2018 | 506 | 528 | 366 | 408 |
| Nov 26-30 2018 | 501 | 530 | 369 | 409 |
| Dec 24-28 2018 | 507 | 533 | 379 | 407 |
| Jan 21-25 2019 | 512 | 535 | 383 | 409 |
| Feb 18-22 2019 | 512 | 536 | 385 | 404 |
| Mar 18-22 2019 | 509 | 533 | 386 | 401 |
| Apr 15-19 2019 | 504 | 531 | 388 | 404 |
| Liquid |
| Date Range | 10-34-0 | ANHYD | UAN28 | UAN32 |
| Apr 16-20 2018 | 431 | 508 | 240 | 275 |
| May 14-18 2018 | 439 | 510 | 241 | 276 |
| Jun 11-15 2018 | 440 | 503 | 241 | 277 |
| Jul 9-13 2018 | 443 | 505 | 242 | 279 |
| Aug 6-10 2018 | 445 | 482 | 233 | 271 |
| Sep 3-7 2018 | 446 | 480 | 232 | 271 |
| Oct 1-5 2018 | 451 | 488 | 237 | 279 |
| Oct 29-Nov 2 2018 | 457 | 505 | 245 | 285 |
| Nov 26-30 2018 | 457 | 519 | 246 | 287 |
| Dec 24-28 2018 | 457 | 568 | 266 | 303 |
| Jan 21-25 2019 | 467 | 584 | 270 | 313 |
| Feb 18-22 2019 | 470 | 596 | 271 | 317 |
| Mar 18-22 2019 | 470 | 597 | 270 | 318 |
| Apr 15-19 2019 | 481 | 594 | 270 | 317 |
Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com
Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN
(ES/BAS)
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