Central Florida: Traders confirmed a number of truck-loaded DAP transactions at $435/st FOB on the Central Florida market last week. Producer prices for DAP trucks were given at $430/st FOB, with MAP called $20/st higher. Prices for rail-loaded product were not disclosed.
With spring planting finished, traders looked toward the third quarter and the possibility of summer fill programs. Hopes were high that summer deals would soon be announced, although sources said nothing formal had been made public as of June 18.
The Central Florida DAP market was quoted in a range of $430-$435/st FOB for truck-loaded product, unchanged from the week before. Price ideas for MAP fell in the $450-$455/st FOB range, with no transactions reported.
U.S. Gulf: Market players were unanimous in their characterization of the week’s NOLA barge market. “It’s slow, the same old slowness we’ve been seeing the last month or so,” said one trader.
With demand stagnant following the end of spring planting, confirmed trading volumes were diminished. Prompt prices held firm, however, tightening to a range of $418-$421/st FOB, while July barges were quoted at $419-$425/st FOB.
Prompt MAP was called $425-$430/st FOB, and last-done TSP barges were quoted at $380/st FOB, with new offers called $385/st FOB.
Sources credited the market’s resilience to ongoing competition against firmer offshore markets, most of which have been mentioned throughout the spring season at a steady $10-$15/st FOB premium to NOLA.
Despite stagnating grain prices that threatened to kneecap end-user demand, NOLA buyers don’t have the leverage to bid prices lower and keep supply from moving offshore, market watchers said.
The NOLA DAP market was quoted in a range of $418-$421/st FOB, compared with the previous week’s $417-$423/st FOB. MAP barges were tagged at $425-$430/st FOB, up slightly from $423-$430/st FOB the week before.
Eastern Cornbelt: DAP was pegged at $455-$460/st FOB out of river warehouses in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the Cincinnati, Ohio, market quoted at the low end of the range. MAP was reported at $465-$475/st FOB in the region, depending on location.
10-34-0 remained at $560-$600/st FOB for the last spot business in the Eastern Cornbelt.
Western Cornbelt: DAP was steady at $450-$460/st FOB in the region, with MAP roughly $10/st higher than DAP.
10-34-0 remained at $565-$590/st FOB for the last confirmed sales. Simplot’s June reference price for super phosphoric acid was $9.70/unit rail-DEL in the Midwest.
California: MAP was steady at $575-$585/st rail-DEL or FOB in California. 16-20-0 remained at $423-$430/st rail-DEL or FOB in the state, while TSP (0-45-0) was unchanged as well at $525/st FOB French Camp.
Phosphoric acid prices were steady at $12.50/unit rail-DEL for SPA and MGA in California, with Simplot posted at the $12.70/unit FOB level for MGA in June. Agrium remained at $1,250/ton of P2O5 for rail-DEL SPA and MGA in California and Arizona for the month of June, but a pricing drop to $960/ton of P2O5 for rail-DEL SPA and MGA is planned for July 1.
10-34-0 was steady at $567-$572/st FOB in California, with 11-37-0 remaining at $623-$628/st FOB El Centro. Both levels will likely change in July as a result of the phos acid pricing change.
Pacific Northwest: MAP was quoted at $555-$575/st rail-DEL or FOB in the Pacific Northwest, depending on location. No summer fill programs were reported in the region yet last week, but several sources said they anticipate some numbers in late June. “This industry continues to come out earlier every year on pricing resets and fill,” said one regional con