Central Florida: Activity in the Northeast was on a rapid rise last week, as farmers were finally getting into their fields and dealers were seeing movement from their storage bins. The Southeast has been moving for the past few weeks and continued to do so last week, although wet weather slowed progress in some areas.
The Central Florida DAP price remained unchanged at $465-$520/st FOB, based on posted and asking prices. One source said the price may be sliding, however, and speculated that DAP might be able to be purchased for as low as $455/st FOB.
Mosaic’s DAP price was listed at $465/st FOB for rail and $480/st FOB for trucks, while CF Industries was posted at $520/st FOB. PCS Sales was selling at market prices out of Aurora and White Springs.
MAP continued to bring a $20/st premium over DAP.
U.S. Gulf: Locks reopened on the Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers in late April, but high water remained a concern for commercial barge traffic. Although heavy rains have played a role in recent weeks, melting snow in the upper Midwest was perhaps the biggest factor going forward.
USDA’s most recent crop report confirmed what everyone already knew – corn planting has hardly begun because of cold temperatures and very wet conditions. Just 5 percent of the crop was planted nationally by April 28, compared with 49 percent last year at this time and 31 percent for the five-year average.
Crop prices were mixed. Corn for July was pegged at $6.56/bushel last week, while corn for December 2013 was posted at $5.5375/bushel, up from $5.3125/bushel the previous week. Corn for December 2014 was at $5.52/bushel last week, up from $5.4075/bushel at last report.
Soybeans for July were put at $13.7225/bushel last week, while bean prices for November 2013 were flat at $12.0625/bushel. Soybeans for November 2014 were posted at $12.1275/bushel, down from the previous week’s $12.1525/bushel.
Wheat for July 2013 increased to $7.25/bushel last week, compared with $7.0375/bushel the previous week, while wheat for July 2014 was listed at $7.625/bushel last week, up from $7.47/bushel at last report. Wheat for July 2015 was listed at $7.6925/bushel.
NOLA DAP barge prices were moving south last week. Sales of both domestic and imported DAP were found as low as $420/st FOB. The domestic product was identified as CF material on a resale by a trader. Mosaic was not making sales in the price range last week.
The NOLA DAP barge price range last week was quoted at $420-$430/st FOB based on actual transactions, down from the previous week’s range of $427-$465/st FOB. The lowest prices were for Moroccan product, although domestic tons were running just as low in some cases.
MAP barges were reported in the $430-$450/st FOB NOLA range. Not a lot of MAP was traded last week, however, and Russian MAP was reportedly out of the market.
Eastern Cornbelt: DAP pricing was quoted at $490-$510/st FOB regional warehouses, with the low reported out of spot river locations in Ohio and Illinois and the upper end out of inland warehouses. Indiana sources pegged the dealer market at $498-$500/st FOB Mount Vernon, Ind.
MAP remained at a $10-$20/st premium over DAP, depending on location.
10-34-0 was steady at $535-$555/st FOB in the region.
Western Cornbelt: DAP pricing remained flat at $495-$510/st FOB in the region, with the low in St. Louis and the upper end quoted in the Iowa market. MAP was $10/st higher than DAP.
10-34-0 was steady at $495-$535/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low in Nebraska and the upper end in Iowa.
Southern Plains: Lower prices were also reported for phosphates in the Southern Plains last week, with one contact saying P and K volumes have “so