This is a subscriber-only article
Price quotes for nitrogen fertiliser continue to ease with CAN falling £60/t over the last two weeks to £535/t, with discounts available on larger quantities and payment on delivery.
The latest price corrections mean CAN has fallen £120 to £140/t since the start of the year and is currently £365/t below its equivalent value back in March 2022. It is also around £140/t down on what farmers paid last autumn when many responded to warnings from the trade about supply shortages this spring.
Urea has also eased in recent weeks by £40 to £50/t with current quotes as low as £600/t.
Grassland compounds are approximately £80 to £100/t above CAN price. Fertilisers such as 25-5-5 are trading around £610 to £620/t, while products with higher phosphate and potash levels, or containing Sulphur, are priced closer to £640/t.
Merchants are expecting further price corrections throughout spring, so they are reluctant to stockpile nitrogen as it would quickly become overpriced. But with yard stocks low, farmers looking to buy fertiliser should note that several products will not be available at the time of enquiry.
There is also growing concern about the sizeable percentage of farmers yet to purchase fertiliser for 2023. Should a surge in buying demand materialise this spring, it will create a backlog within supply chains and could lead to significant delays in being able to meet expected delivery times, warn local merchants.
SHARING OPTIONS: