Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a contract for white potash (GM Jan. 9, p. 8) to Farm and Home Inc., Sykeville, Md., for $29,712, buying some 48.14 st at $619/st DEL. USDA had sought two trailer loads, each estimated at 22-24 tons, to be delivered all at once to Beltsville, Md., by March 1, 2012. USDA said this award was evaluated based on the lowest price that is technically acceptable. The purchase was exclusively reserved for small businesses. USDA told Green Markets the product would be used on crop ground for corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. The Green Markets Dealer Report price for the Northeast, which would include Maryland, is $570-$590/st DEL, with the top end for white granular – this from producers or resellers. While $619/st DEL for a small quantity from a "small business" is higher, it is going to the farmer end-user even if it is the USDA, and may not be out of line. The last PCS Sales posting to Maryland, effective July 1, 2011, was $610 rail-DEL for granular potash and $600/st FOB Baltimore.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain