By Clint Schroeder, Program Manager, Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program, Eric Richer, Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Farm Management, and Amanda Bennett Miami County Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources – Published in the Ohio Ag Manager Blog – https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/
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Results from a quarterly survey of retail fertilizer prices in the state of Ohio revealed fertilizer prices were slightly lower than the July national averages reported by Progressive Farmer for the second consecutive quarter – DTN (Quinn, 2024). The survey was completed by 17 retailers, representing 11 counties, who do business in the state of Ohio. Respondents were asked to quote spot prices as of the first day of the quarter (July 1st) based on sale type indicated. This is part of a larger study conducted by OSU Extension to better understand local fertilizer prices, which began in December 2023.
In summary, survey participants reported the average price of all fertilizers was lower in Ohio compared to the national prices, with Potash ($456/ton in Ohio versus $506/ton nationally) and 28% UAN ($309/ton in Ohio compared to $345/ton nationally) offering the largest discounts (Quinn, 2024).
The chart below (Table 1.) is the summary of the survey responses. The responses (n) are the number of survey responses for each product. The minimum and maximum values reflect the minimum and maximum values reported in the survey. The average is the simple average of all survey responses for each product rounded to the nearest dollar. We recognize that many factors influence a company’s spot price for fertilizer including but not limited to availability, geography, volume, cost of freight, competition, regulation, etc.
Table 1. Third Quarter 2024 Ohio Fertilizer Prices
| Product | Responses
(n) |
Sale Type | Min
$/ton |
Max
$/ton |
Avg
$/ton |
| Anhydrous ammonia 82-0-0 | 7 | FOB Plant | $625 | $775 | $702 |
| UAN 28-0-0 | 14 | Direct to Farm | $258 | $365 | $309 |
| Urea 46-0-0 | 11 | FOB Plant | $432 | $565 | $503 |
| MAP 11-52-0 | 12 | FOB Plant | $737 | $1136 | $808 |
| DAP18-46-0 | 6 | FOB Plant | $667 | $790 | $736 |
| APP 10-34-0 | 8 | Direct to Farm | $550 | $645 | $599 |
| Potash 0-0-60 | 14 | FOB Plant | $390 | $515 | $456 |
| Ammonium Sulfate 21-0-0-24 | 11 | FOB Plant | $455 | $581 | $512 |
| Ammonium Thio-Sulfate 12-0-0-26 | 9 | FOB Plant | $327 | $430 | $378 |
When compared to results from the previous quarter’s survey, prices for nitrogen products saw a modest decrease in price while phosphates were mixed with MAP increasing while DAP and 10-34-0 were lower. Potash prices decreased for the second consecutive quarter, coming in $34/ton lower than in the first quarterly report. Conversely, Sulfates were mixed with Ammonium Sulfate prices increasing again to $581/ton, which is $63/ton higher than at the beginning of 2024. Ammonium Thio-Sulfate price had a slight decrease of $7/ton. If you are a retailer interested in participating in this study, please contact Amanda Bennett at bennett.709@osu.edu.
Resources
Bennett, A., Richer, E., & Schroeder, C. (2024). 2024 First Quarter Fertilizer Prices Across Ohio. Ohio Ag Manager Blog. https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/2024/01/17/first-quarter-2024-fertilizer-prices-across-ohio/
Bennett, A., Richer, E., & Schroeder, C. (2024). 2024 Second Quarter Fertilizer Prices Across Ohio. Ohio Ag Manager Blog. https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/2024/04/15/2024-second-quarter-fertilizer-prices-across-ohio/
Quinn, R. 2024. DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends. DTN Progressive Farmer. Accessed online July 10, 2024 at https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2024/07/10/anhydrous-urea-lead-retail-prices