As of Dec. 30 in Illinois, diammonium phosphate (DAP) is down $19 per ton compared with 2014 prices; potash is down $63 per ton; urea decreased $62 per ton; urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN 28%) decreased $42 per ton; and anhydrous ammonia decreased $78 per ton.
North Carolina also reported lower fertilizer prices on Jan. 8, with potash averaging $475.67 ($439.25 for bulk), calcium nitrate $607.40, ammonia sulfate (bulk) $382.50 and liquid nitrogen 30 to 32 percent at $310.80. Other states also reported lower fertilizer prices heading through January.
Lower fertilizer prices are typically seen in off-season months and can spike for any number of reasons throughout the year. Even though the current market is stable, fertilizer is the single biggest input cost for corn production and producers are encouraged to be aware of price fluctuations that can shift dramatically.
The USDA Farm Production Expenditures 2014 Summary (PDF, 1.1MB) lists fertilizers and soil conditioners as 7 percent of farm expenditures in 2014, a decrease from 7.7 percent in 2013. In terms of collective dollar amounts, $28.3 billion was spent on fertilizers in 2013 and $28 billion in 2014. FG
