Pressure mounts for fertiliser prices to fall

Oilseed rape area is said to be down 20% this autumn, along with a similar reduction for wheat. Conversely, spring barley and pulse volumes are set to rise with a decrease in the area of potatoes and sugar beet.
With UK fertiliser values still largely set by global pricing these changes are too small to bring prices tumbling down, but they should be enough to halt the upward spiral.
The next available tranche of nitrogen fertiliser from home producer GrowHow will be in January, with prices little changed from last month’s forecast. Imported AN, however, is available today at £355/t and urea prices have come back from £500 to £460-480/t.
Clearly these prices are not tempting enough as farmers are not ordering. Indeed, why bother, as there is little indication of significant change before Christmas.
One much hoped for change is the reduction of phosphate prices in international markets. The F.O.B. price has dropped by as much as $200-300/t, but for those farming in Britain this benefit has been largely negated by the weakness of sterling. Even so, a drop of £20/t to £680/t for TSP is welcome.
Potash prices are much the same, and a typical 0.24.24 autumn grade, the only ones currently selling in any volume, is around £590/t. Globally, pressures are still holding nutrient prices high.
China has managed to hold its domestic urea price to an equivalent of £150/t. But this has been achieved by applying an export tax of 175% leading to little urea being sold outside the country itself.
The Indian government is estimated to have spent only half its budgeted sum for subsidising internal fertiliser purchase. Demand there continues unabated.
No one even dares to speculate what the impact will be of current market crises but there is no reason to assume that the fertiliser industry will be in any way immune.
Straight | |||||
Domestic N | Imported AN | Imported urea | Liquid UAN (28.8 %N/t) | ||
£410-413 January | Increasing volumes current price £355 | £460-480 | £1.19/kg |
£680 availability OK |
| |
Muriate of Potash (60%K2O) | £600 |
|
Compound | |||||
N.P.K | Complex | Blended | |||
25.5.5 | £414 Nov | Broadly similar | |||
15.15.20 | £ not available | 14.14.20 £590 | |||
20.10.10 / 27.5.5 | £435 if offered | Broadly similar | |||
17.17.17 | Outpriced None in production | 16.16.16 £560-600 | |||
Aftercuts (NK) (with sulphur) | £419 | ||||
23.4.13.7 | £426 |
| |||
Autumn grades (PK) | £500-600. dependant on analysis. | ||||
Trace elements | Copper, zinc, selenium, |
| Urea | CAN | 25.0.13 | 27.0.6 | 27.6.6 | |
| No market | Highly volatile spot prices | Highly volatile spot prices | Highly volatile spot prices | No longer used Phosphate regulations | |
| Highly volatile spot prices | Highly volatile spot prices | No Market. | |||
†Note in the
*Known as 24.2½.10 blend in the
**Known as 27.2½.5 in ROI
Note All illustrated prices are based upon 24 tonne loads for immediate payment. Prices for smaller loads and those with credit terms will vary considerably.
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