U.S. Gulf: Potash barges continued to be called around the $470/st FOB mark, give or take $5/st. While some players said they were anxiously waiting to see if a posting increase of $20/st truly takes effect July 21, others said the conversation on potash at the San Antonio meeting took all of one minute.
Eastern Cornbelt: Potash continued to be quoted in the $500-$510/st range FOB Eastern Cornbelt warehouses. One regional source estimated that fall potash rate reductions will range from 25-30 percent if drought conditions persist.
“Bottom line, if you’re a farmer and you’ve got a drought situation with hot temperatures, and you truly don’t know what it’s going to yield, will you be buying any equipment or fertilizer?” said one contact. “I don’t think we’ll know a whole lot until the farmer gets into the field.”
Granular potash postings from PCS Sales are slated to firm $20/st on July 21, moving to $530/st FOB warehouses in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Agrium was referenced at $510/st FOB and $520/st rail-DEL in the region for red premium potash.
Western Cornbelt: Sources quoted the potash market at $500-$510/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt. Postings from PCS Sales are slated to firm $20/st on July 21, moving to $530/st FOB St. Louis, Mo., and Iowa terminals at Fort Dodge and Waterloo. Agrium’s July 1 postings for red premium potash include $510/st FOB warehouses and $520/st rail-DEL in Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri.
Southern Plains: Reference prices for potash FOB Carlsbad, N.M., were $510/st for 60 percent standard, $515/st for 60 percent granular and 62 percent standard, and $525/st FOB for 62 percent fine soluble and 62 percent granular.
Out of regional warehouses in the Southern Plains, the potash market was pegged at $500-$510/st FOB at mid-month. Agrium’s July 1 postings for red premium potash included $520/st rail-DEL in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
South Central: Potash remained at $510-$520/st FOB warehouses in the South Central region, with the low FOB Memphis and Caruthersville, Mo., and the upper end in the Louisiana market on a spot basis. Agrium’s postings for rail-delivered red premium potash moved on July 1 to $530/st in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Southeast: Potash pricing had reportedly slipped to $517-$520/st FOB regional warehouses in the Southeast, with rail-delivered tons quoted at $525-$530/st in the region.
Agrium’s July 1 warehouse postings for red premium potash included $517/st FOB Lynchburg, Va., and $520/st FOB Mulberry, Fla., and Georgia terminals at Americus, Bainbridge, Savannah, and Tifton. Agrium’s postings for rail-delivered red premium potash moved on that date to $530/st in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
Potash postings from PCS Sales were slated to firm $20/st on July 21, moving to $540/st FOB Baltimore, Md.
Brazil: Major sellers are seeking $550/mt DEL for granular, up from the earlier $520/mt DEL.