U.S. Gulf:
NOLA prompt potash barge prices edged down for the week, and are now called $280-$284/st FOB, compared to the earlier $282-$284/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Potash pricing was quoted at $310-$320/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on grade and location. Both Nutrien and Mosaic confirmed that, effective Jan. 16, new orders for potash will be up $10/st from current winter fill prices. The increase will take producer postings to $330-$335/st FOB Midwest terminals, up from the current $320-$325/st FOB level for fill tons shipped through March.
“We have had a good response so far, and are very confident that we will sell out of Q1 based on this program,” a Nutrien source told Green Markets.
Western Cornbelt:
Potash pricing was quoted at $310-$325/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, depending on location, with the low reported at Caruthersville and the high at Muscatine, Iowa. Nutrien and Mosaic were taking potash fill orders at $320-$325/st FOB through Jan. 15 for orders shipped by March 31, with a $10/st increase slated for Jan. 16.
Southern Plains:
Potash was quoted at $310-$320/st FOB Catoosa/Inola, but sources said a $10/st posted increase is coming in mid-January. Reference potash prices from Intrepid FOB Carlsbad, N.M., remained at $337/st FOB for 62 percent standard and $330/st FOB for 60 percent granular, but the company confirmed that a $10/st increase will take effect on Jan. 17 for new orders.
South Central:
Potash pricing in the South Central region remained at $305-$310/st FOB out of most regional warehouses, but sources said a $10/st posted increase from producers will take place on Jan. 16.
Southeast:
Potash pricing was quoted at $235-$335/st FOB port terminals and $350-$360/st rail-DEL in the Southeast for Canadian tons, depending on grade and location.
Germany:
K+S Group on Jan. 9 said it does not expect any more wastewater-related interruptions at the three sites of the Werra plant in the first quarter of this year.
“The precipitation over the past few weeks has significantly increased the water level of the Werra River again, and as a result, the load on the local retention basins has been relieved to a greater extent,” K+S said.
Production at the three Werra sites restarted on Dec. 27 after a planned stoppage from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26 (GM Dec. 21, 2018). K+S in early December had anticipated a longer production stoppage, with production expected to resume on Jan. 1 (GM Dec. 3, 2018).
K+S this week said it still expects to be able to increase the on-site temporary storage capacity for saline wastewater by a further 400,000 m3, to a total of around 1 million m3.
U.K.:
ICL UK Ltd. this week said it is working toward a target of producing 700,000 mt of polysulfate at its Boulby mine in northeast England this year, and “demonstrating the ability to ramp up to 1 million mt” at the site. Potash production stopped at Boulby at the end of the second quarter last year, and the operation fully transitioned as planned to the production of polyhalite, which is marketed as polysulfate.
Modified methods will improve efficiency and there will be major investment in new equipment at the mine, said Boulby Vice President Andrew Fulton in a company statement.
The Boulby mine produced 428,724 mt of polyhalite in 2017 and 348,781 mt last year. A spokesman for the company said the lower output of polyhalite in 2018 reflected the effort concentrated on the final mining of potash at the mine. ICL UK is aiming to reach sales of 1 million mt/y of polysulfate by 2020. It continues to produce salt at Boulby.
Northwest Europe:
Producers are reported to have been successful in pushing through price increases for new granular potash sales. Price hikes on granular product of as much as €15-€20/mt are reported, pushing the current granular range up to €300-€315/mt CIF northwest Europe, sources said.
Brazil:
Granular demand remains seasonally limited, but sources said prices are holding up and remain in the $350-$360/mt CFR range.
Brazil’s imports of potash increased by close to 9 percent, to 10.52 million last year, up from 9.67 million mt in 2017, according to data from the country’s Ministry of Development, Industry, and Trade.
Sri Lanka:
The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a tender for the import of 3,000 mt of standard potash in 50-kg bags as part of a wider tender that also includes granular and prilled urea (33,400 mt) and TSP (10,000 mt). The tender closes on Jan. 22, and delivery of the potash is required by April. The potash tons are being procured for Ceylon Fertilizer Co. Ltd.