Ammonia
U.S. Gulf: November Tampa business was concluded at the $720/mt C&F mark, up just $5/mt from October, but up nonetheless. Sources continued to cite tight supplies in Trinidad.
The last done NOLA barge continues to be called $685/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt: The fall ammonia application season officially kicked off in Illinois last week, and in a big way. Sources reported long truck lines in the state, as well as round-the-clock loading at some terminals. “It’s a big push in Illinois,” observed one source at midweek.
The ammonia market was quoted at a solid $810/st FOB in the Illinois market for prompt tons. In Indiana, where the application pace was much slower, the dealer market was pegged at $815-$820/st FOB last week.
Hurricane Sandy slammed Ohio with rain, snow, gusty winds, and much lower temperatures as the storm moved inland from the Northeast.
The Oct. 30 U.S. Drought Monitor labeled most of Ohio as drought-free last week, along with a wide swath of central Indiana and portion of central Illinois. Northern Illinois was still experiencing severe drought in late October, but drought conditions in the rest of the state have eased considerably.
Western Cornbelt: Ammonia and phosphates were moving briskly to fields in eastern Iowa last week, and at a somewhat slower pace in southern Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, and parts of Missouri. One Missouri source described fertilizer movement in his trade area last week as “good but not brisk by any means.”
An Iowa contact said a rainy period in the second half of October slowed field activity but helped to lower soil temperatures, prompting a big ammonia push that began Oct. 29 when fields were dry enough for machinery.
Ammonia pricing was unchanged at $760-$800/st FOB for prompt tons in the region, with the low out of Nebraska terminals and the upper end quoted in Missouri and Iowa. Sources reported long lines at some regional terminals last week.
Most of Nebraska and southern South Dakota remained locked in extreme to exceptional drought conditions last week. Western Iowa was also experiencing extreme drought, but drought conditions in the eastern half of the state had eased to severe, according to the Oct. 30 U.S. Drought Monitor. Missouri, the nation’s driest spot during early summer, was only experiencing moderate to severe drought by late October.
Southern Plains: The anhydrous ammonia market in the Southern Plains region was pegged at $710-$720/st FOB regional production points, with the upper end of the range quoted at $750-$760/st FOB pipeline terminals in Kansas. There was some ammonia moving to the field in northern Kansas for next year’s corn, but the region could use more rain before additional fall ammonia movement gets underway.
Sizable portions of Kansas and Oklahoma remained in extreme to exceptional drought last week, while drought conditions in Colorado and New Mexico ranged from moderate to extreme. Drought was spotty in Texas, with northern and extreme southern areas of the state experiencing extreme to exceptional drought in late October. In a large swath of central Texas, however, conditions ranged from drought-free to moderate drought last week.
South Central: The only terminal price for ammonia reported in the South Central region last week was $810-$815/st FOB Henderson, Ky., with no sales taking place out of that location. Memphis was reportedly out of ammonia in late October.
The effects of Hurricane Sandy were felt as far west as eastern Kentucky and Tennessee last week. A winter weather advisory was posted for parts of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee on Oct. 29-30, and up to 34 inches of snow had fallen in Mount Le Conte, Tenn., by the morning of Oct. 3