U.S. Gulf/Tampa: The Tampa market was quiet last week, but new barge business at NOLA was reported at $540/st FOB.
July-February ammonia imports were down 21 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, to 3.68 million st from the year-ago 4.66 million st.
May NYMEX closed April 3 at $4.470/mmBtu, down from March 27’s $4.538/mmBtu.
Eastern Cornbelt: Warm spring weather settled over the Eastern Cornbelt during the final days of March and the start of April, spurring some fertilizer applications for preplant corn and wheat topdressing in the region.
Severe storms were likely across central and southern Illinois and parts of Indiana and Ohio as the week progressed, however. Forecasts called for strong winds, rain, hail, and the possibility of tornadoes in some locations on April 3.
Sources continued to talk of potential logistics challenges due to rail delays, but, as one source noted, it all depends on weather conditions and when the season breaks. The incoming precipitation wasn’t rattling too many people last week; one source said planting activity in his area generally doesn’t begin until April 20.
Anhydrous ammonia pricing continued to firm in the region last week. Sources quoted the low end of the regional range at $650-$665/st FOB in the Illinois market, depending on location, with the upper end pegged at $680/st FOB Huntington, Ind.
Western Cornbelt: Winter Storm Yona was expected to bring more snow to northern Iowa and central and northeastern Nebraska late in the week, but the heaviest accumulation was predicted for the Northern Plains and Great Lakes regions.
Missouri was also getting its share of inclement weather in early April. A state of emergency was declared on April 4 for several locations in the state due to a severe weather system that brought heavy rain, hail, high winds, flooding, and at least one reported tornado. Local reports said up to 5 inches of rain swamped some parts of the state.
On the fertilizer front, sources reported very tight ammonia inventories in the Nebraska market, and rapidly firming ammonia prices.
A pinhole leak reportedly resulted in a temporary shutdown of the Magellan ammonia pipeline last week, forcing Kansas retailers to pull from Nebraska terminals to meet heavy preplant demand. As a result, several Nebraska ammonia terminals went on allocation, with sources reporting that suppliers were taking two or three price increases per day.
Spot prices out of Nebraska terminals had reportedly jumped to $590-$610/st FOB before suppliers ultimately pulled prices and stopped accepting orders until further notice.
Rapid ammonia price increases were also observed in the Iowa market, where sources said spot prices last week included $620/st FOB Sergeant Bluff, $635/st FOB Fort Dodge, and $675/st FOB Marshalltown and Washington.
Northern Plains: Another winter storm was taking aim at the Northern Plains region as the week advanced. Snowfall totals were expected to range from 5-8 inches across central Minnesota by April 4, with 3-5 inches likely in South Dakota. In parts of northern Minnesota, 8-12 inches of snow was possible by the weekend.
A North Dakota source said his location received 11 inches of snow early in the week, with more in the forecast. “It is cold and nasty,” he reported at midweek.
No fieldwork was taking place in the region last week, but sources reported tight fertilizer supplies, firming markets, and significant logistics problems just the same. One source said there was very little MAP, ammonium sulfate , or ammonium thiosulfate to be found, while rail shipments of urea continued to experience lengthy delays. Limited truck availability was also impacting shipments of potash. “What a mess, and we haven