DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices continued to be mostly higher the second week of April 2020, according to retailers surveyed by DTN. The recent trend, which is still in place, features extremely slight price moves.

Seven fertilizers were slightly higher in price compared to last month. DAP has an average price of $410/ton, potash $370/ton, urea $384/ton, 10-34-0 $468/ton, anhydrous $492/ton, UAN28 $236/ton and UAN32 $279/ton.

The remaining fertilizer had a slightly lower price looking back to a month earlier. MAP had an average price of $433/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.42/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.44/lb.N.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on nearly everything in the world, including the fertilizer industry. While fertilizer businesses continue to operate as an essential industry across the globe, the virus is causing changes to how companies operate.

One example would be Australian fertilizer manufacturer Incitec Pivot Limited. The company pulled out of a deal to sell its Asia Pacific fertilizer business amid the uncertainty created by the coronavirus, according to Dow Jones on Monday.

Incitec, which manufactures, imports and distributes urea and ammonia in Australia, said it was calling off talks with potential buyers of the business following a strategic review. Those discussions had followed Incitec's decision to explore a sale in early September 2019.

Considering how fast the situation has changed with the pandemic, the demise of this deal will probably not be the only change of plans by fertilizer businesses in the coming weeks and months.

Retail fertilizers are now all lower in price from a year ago. Both DAP and MAP are 19% lower, anhydrous is 17% less expensive, UAN28 is 13% lower, UAN32 is 12% less expensive, both potash and urea are 5% lower and 10-34-0 is 3% less expensive from last year at this time.

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 15-19 2019	504	531	388	404
May 13-17 2019	498	526	392	426
Jun 10-14 2019	497	527	392	434
Jul 8-12, 2019	497	532	392	431
Aug 5-9 2019	495	531	395	428
Sep 2-6 2019	491	488	387	408
Sep 30-Oct 4, 2019	476	474	384	404
Oct 28-Nov 1 2019	464	472	383	402
Nov 25-29 2019	456	465	381	386
Dec 23-27 2019	443	454	377	378
Jan 20-24 2020	413	435	374	357
Feb 17-21 2020	410	435	373	361
Mar 16-20 2020	408	433	370	382
Apr 13-17 2020	410	433	370	384
LIQUID
Date Range	10-34-0	ANHYD	UAN28	UAN32
Apr 15-19 2019	481	594	270	317
May 13-17 2019	487	595	267	311
Jun 10-14 2019	487	591	271	314
Jul 8-12, 2019	485	585	276	317
Aug 5-9 2019	491	580	272	320
Sep 2-6 2019	473	522	255	290
Sep 30-Oct 4, 2019	470	511	253	289
Oct 28-Nov 1 2019	468	503	251	291
Nov 25-29 2019	472	497	245	277
Dec 23-27 2019	469	488	240	276
Jan 20-24 2020	470	487	237	275
Feb 17-21 2020	464	490	235	277
Mar 16-20 2020	466	491	235	278
Apr 13-17 2020	468	492	236	279

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

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(SK)

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