by Russ Quinn, DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) — Urea and UAN solutions continue to show price strength, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of April 2012. Urea has risen in price for eight straight weeks while UAN has seen considerably higher prices for four weeks in a row.
Prices of five of the eight major fertilizers were higher compared to a month earlier. Urea jumped 15{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} higher compared to the fourth week of March and had an average price of $740 per ton.
Also appreciably higher again were the UAN solutions. UAN32 was 13{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} more expensive and UAN28 was 12{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} higher compared to month ago. UAN32 had an average price of $481/ton while UAN28 was at $427/ton.
In addition, DAP and potash advanced as well. These two fertilizers were up just slightly with DAP having an average price of $637/ton while potash was at $662/ton.
The remaining three fertilizers were lower compared to a month ago but really not by any significance. MAP had an average price of $695/ton, 10-34-0 was at $766/ton and anhydrous was at $764/ton.
Recent inflation makes anhydrous the cheapest source of N by far this spring. On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.80/lb.N, anhydrous $0.47/lb.N, UAN28 $0.76/lb.N and UAN32 $0.75/lb.N. Spreads between anhydrous and urea, for example, are the widest in at least four years.
Four of the eight major fertilizers are still showing double-digit increases in price compared to one year earlier. Leading the way higher is urea. The nitrogen fertilizer is 52{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} higher compared to last year while UAN28 has jumped to 13{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} higher and both UAN28 and potash are now 12{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} more expensive compared to the fourth week of April 2011.
One fertilizer has seen just slight price increases compared to a year earlier. Anhydrous is now 2{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} more expensive.
Another fertilizer, 10-34-0, is sitting nearly unchanged from last year.
The two remaining fertilizers, DAP and MAP, are now actually lower compared to one year ago. DAP is now 6{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} lower while MAP has now decreased 1{fd15d42d1b024b97d6d50958be27cc8145b6addb99e015780abccf2984117bb0} in price.
DTN collects roughly 1,300 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.
© Copyright 2012 DTN/The Progressive Farmer, A Telvent Brand. All rights reserved.
Posted with DTN Permission by Haylie Shipp
