U.S. Gulf/Tampa: The new U.S. Gulf/Tampa price for April was pending last week, and indications were that it will rise for the next round. World prices were around $500/mt, compared to the Tampa price of $400/mt for March. If that price holds, the new price could be as high as $550/mt, but time remained for the situation to change.
A spot sale into Tampa was done this month at a low price of $359/mt, but that was not expected to be used as a benchmark.
Product was in short supply on the river system, despite the relatively low price.
Eastern Cornbelt: The prompt ammonia market was quoted at $640-$650/st FOB terminals in Illinois and Indiana, up slightly from the previous week.
With temperatures reaching the 80s throughout the region and ground temperatures already reaching the mid 50s in some areas, Illinois sources said a few corn planters were making their way to fields last week. An Ohio source said corn planters in his location were still on the sidelines in his area, but growers there were busy applying preplant fertilizer and burndown herbicides, and also topdressing wheat.
Western Cornbelt: The ammonia market was tagged at $590-$610/st FOB regional terminals, with the low in Iowa and Nebraska on a spot basis.
One Nebraska contact said tons were moving briskly to the field in spite of steady ammonia movement last fall and during portions of the winter. He reported some corn planting in his trade area last week. “It’s a little premature, but I think these guys are bored,” he said. “It was a mild winter, they have all their fieldwork done, and you can only grease machinery for so long.”
California: Anhydrous ammonia was steady at $585/st truck-DEL in California, with aqua ammonia referenced at the $160/st FOB mark. Sources reported some ammonia movement to the field earlier in March, but mid-month precipitation across the state slowed the pace.
Pacific Northwest: The anhydrous ammonia market remained at $630-$660/st DEL in the region, depending on location.
A powerful storm moved through the Pacific Northwest as winter transitioned to spring, blanketing the Cascades with two feet of snow and dropping two to five inches of rain in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington.
The system also brought heavy rain and snow to Idaho and Montana. More than an inch of steady rain caused areas of isolated flooding in parts of south central Idaho and Idaho’s Wood River Valley, and up to 26 inches of snow was reported on March 19 in parts of north central Montana. As the week advanced, however, warmer temperatures and sunshine returned to much of the region.
Western Canada: The anhydrous ammonia market was pegged at $996-$1,040/mt DEL in Western Canada, with the lower numbers reported in Manitoba and the upper end in the Alberta market.
While unseasonably warm weather continued in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in mid-March, parts of British Columbia and Alberta were blanketed with snow last week.