Fertiliser market kicks off at last
By Roger Chesher
THE warm weather has finally kicked off the grassland fertiliser market, and nitrogen sales have improved as well.
While sales are hardly a flood of dam-bursting proportions, they are decidedly brisk and comprise all grass grades, not just after-cut fertiliser.
The result is a bottleneck, long forecasted, with farmers wanting instant delivery and the suppliers unable to comply.
The product is there, but the lorries are too few in number, so you may get your fertiliser in a week or two, but not tomorrow.
Hydro, with outlets at multiple sites, currently seems less stretched than Kemira or Terra.
The price is highly unlikely to change significantly again before the new season, so the moral seems to be, if you need fertiliser before July, order it now.
First-quarter results of the majors show a similar pattern; volume down, revenue per tonne up, gas prices high.
Activity of the parent companies is focused away from Europe as Kemira announces the opening of a new fertiliser plant in China, and Hydro reveals new marketing agreements in Chile.
It seems that submissions have now been made in respect of the OFT inquiry and the industry is awaiting the outcome. A long wait is anticipated.
CURRENT PRICES
Nitrogen (SP5) 34.5% | Anticipated new-season (July) domestic nitrogen | Imported urea (if available) | Imported AN |
Blended 20.10.10 and 25.0.16 | Blended 25.5.5 | Liquid nitrogen, 37kg/100l or 29.6% N/t |
May 125 | July 110 | Granular 144 Prilled 132 | 118-120 ex-stock |
121 | 118 | 140 |
NPK | May, pay cash | July, imported N |
Complex 25.5.5 | 121 | 95-100 |
15.15.20 | 144 | |
20.10.10/29.5.5 | 124 | |
17.17.17 | 149 |
After-cut NK cash | 0.24.24 | TSP (47% P2O5) bagged | Muriate of Potash (60% K2O) bagged |
120-121 | 114-116 | 135-140 | 115-118 |
IRELAND CAN 24.6.12 0.16.36 Complex compounds
Forecast spring prices
Urea
27.6.6
Northern Ireland
Market over
122
148
No market
148
CAN | 24.21/2.10 | Urea, imported | 27.21/2.5 | |
Republic of Ireland* | 145-155 | 185 | 190 | 187 |
*Note in the Republic of Ireland nutrients are expressed as elements not oxides. Analyses will not be directly comparable with those used in the UK.
*Prices in the Republic are IR
Note All illustrated prices are based on 20-tonne loads for immediate payment. Prices for smaller loads and those with credit terms will vary considerably.
Source: Bridgewater Partnership
  |