DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- Most average retail fertilizer prices were higher than last month during the second week of January 2025, according to sellers surveyed by DTN.

Prices for seven of the eight major fertilizers were higher while the price of just one was lower. However, as has been the case in recent months, no fertilizer price moved a significant amount, which DTN designates as anything 5% or more.

The seven fertilizers that were slightly higher in price were DAP, which had an average price of $739 per ton, potash $443/ton, urea $492/ton, 10-34-0 $616/ton, anhydrous $737/ton, UAN28 $326/ton and UAN32 $366/ton.

One fertilizer was slightly less expensive than a month ago. MAP had an average price of $809/ton looking back a month.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.53/lb.N, anhydrous $0.45/lb.N, UAN28 $0.58/lb.N and UAN32 $0.57/lb.N.

Nitrogen prices have been higher as we started the New Year, according to StoneX Media Fertilizer Market Update by Josh Linville, StoneX vice-president - fertilizer. There are several reasons why nitrogen has started the year higher.

Chinese exports are still largely nonexistent. The market continues to believe those exports will not resume short term, he wrote.

"They normally export between 5 to 5.5 million tons per year," Linville wrote. "2024 will likely end less than 300,000 tons total, or 5 million tons short of normal."

Another reason for higher nitrogen prices would be Iranian nitrogen production which is offline currently. This represents another 10% of the global exports, which are missing while they are offline.

European nitrogen manufacturers are still only about 75% of normal and this situation could get worse. This comes to about 2 million tons of UAN being offline, he wrote.

Two fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year ago. DAP is 2% more expensive while 10-34-0 is 3% higher looking back to last year.

The remaining six fertilizers are lower. MAP is 1% less expensive, UAN28 is 3% lower, anhydrous is 4% less expensive, UAN32 is 6% lower, urea is 7% less expensive and potash is 13% lower 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.

In addition to national averages, MyDTN subscribers can access the full DTN Fertilizer Index, which includes state averages, here: https://www.mydtn.com/….

Researchers from the University of Illinois received $5 million in funding for a new variety of corn, which would reduce nitrogen fertilizer usage. You can read about it here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…

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

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