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Farmer Fertilizer Focus - Phosphates

By: Josh Linville, Vice President- Fertilizer

February '23 PHOSPHATES
 
Josh Linville
Vice President - Fertilizer
Major global phosphate export location price graphs
I will have 2 graphs:  one that lists historical pricing in short tons and one in metric tons so that everyone can read it in a form they prefer.  All prices are listed in USD.  All prices are FOB or priced at their origin.
I will say this now and will say it going forward to eternity:  these are the flat price graphs for each individual location.  Your price where you are is going to be different.  There are logistics.  There is the cost of storage/interest/insurance/etc.  These graphs should not be taken as "it shows the price at $700,  why isn't my price $700".  These graphs should be used to give an appreciation for price movements thru 2022.
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What everyone wants to know first, what do we think will happen going forward
Similar to January, still feels like phosphate will have some semblance of price support over the next month or two.
A few of the reasons for this:
  • Some of the early southern U.S. indications are that demand isn't too bad.  The south is usually a good indication for the remainder of the market.
  • A substantial 2023 acreage change has not been seen/heard so coming demand hasn't changed.
  • The ratio is improved vs a year ago.  As you will see, it is a LONG ways from what we have seen in 2020 and 2021, but it is better than the high we have seen last couple years.

The last thing that drives my thoughts is timing.  March is 4 weeks away.  Winter feels like it is going to take forever to get done.  However, 4 weeks is not that long.  Preparation time is almost over.  We are just about to the just in time part of spring and that usually supports pricing.

Should you buy your spring '23 phosphate needs?
If it works for your farm, yes.
With where the current ratios are, I wouldn't be putting so much on that I'm building soil levels.  However, they are improved enough that maintenance levels to ensure solid 2023 yields are in order.
Ultimately, it comes down to each farmers individual farms to determine if it makes sense.  The value is still historically high.  The ratio today is about 40 bushels of corn per ton of DAP higher than where it was same time 2020.  It may not work for everyone.
But on the surface in a general statement, I think it is time to lock in your needs.  Time is running out and I get a feel that the market has been slow to put product in place with falling prices.  I'm all about trying to grab that last $10 - $20 downside, but I'm much more worried about finding out product isn't available.
general global dap/map information
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What has happened in the last 30 days?
Did phosphate prices really...go up?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes!!!  It wasn't the biggest 30 day rally we have ever seen but it appears the phosphate market has found its short term price floor.
Longer term, I do not think this will hold.  The cost of production continues to drop slightly.  Once past spring, summer drags forever it feels.
But today, as we approach spring, it feels like we have found price support.
Grain/phosphate ratios have improved vs same time last year
I'm not going to bore you with putting all the graphs here that are shown below.  
Today, the grain/phosphate ratios have improved vs where we were same time last year.  They are still much higher than the lows we have seen but we will take improvement wherever we can.
One word of caution if you are still trying to decide what to do.  If you purchase your phosphate today, hold off on selling forward grain and the price of grain drops, today's ratio means nothing.  For example:
  • If we sell Dec '23 corn today - $5.87/bushel (using Chicago/no basis)
  • If we purchase DAP at $640/ton (using NOLA/no basis or logistics)
  • That gives a ratio of 109 bushels of corn per ton of DAP

That is where we are locked in if we do both sides of the equation.  I realize that selling grain forward does have some risks and everyone needs to consider if those risks are worth it.  I'm not here to say it is or is not.  

So what happens if it goes sour on us?

  • If we purchase DAP at $640/ton
  • We hold on selling Dec '23 corn and it drops to $5/bushel
  • When we finally secure both sides, that ratio has deteriorated to 128

You might be thinking "nothing out there indicates corn is dropping that much, quit trying to scare us".  I get it, but that number is actually higher than some models are predicting.  If the U.S. hits 92M acres of corn and we hit trendline yields, assuming demand and everything remains constant, we could be looking at a cash price sub $5...

Now, we could also have a horrible growing season, demand jump and prices rally.

Merely trying to show the dangers.

 
No new news regarding U.S. duties against Chinese/Russian/Moroccan produced phosphates
It feels as though this story has been largely forgotten.
In the summer of 2020, a duty case was filed with the U.S. government to impose duties on Moroccan/Russian produced phosphates (China already had a duty in place).  That case was eventually approved and effectively blocked all 3 sources from arriving.
As phosphate values have rallied far above historic norms, there had been hope that a grassroots effort would put pressure on D.C. to drop the case.  If those duties made sense when values were in the $200 - $300 range, it made sense to drop them as price doubled or nearly tripled.
However, we have not heard much in regards to any action or progress being made recently.
North American phosphate values have continued to ebb and flow with global values. The difference being that our values have been slightly elevated where that hasn't been the case in history.  Maybe we will be surprised in the coming months of another push, but today that does not appear to be happening.
Aussie farmers should be preparing
Typically I spend a lot of time talking about North American farming.  What can I say, I like to talk about home!!
However, Australian farmers are nearing their phosphate application season and there remain some things to be worried about.
The import graph shows that 2022 continues to stay relatively close to normal patterns.  Nothing really stands out and total imports thru November are only slightly behind the average.
The worrisome part for me is considering the Q1 ramp up for application.  Namely, look at the second graph.  The last couple years have seen a tremendous amount of product flowing from China.  Why is that important?  Proximity.  It doesn't take as long for a ship to sail from China to Australia.  Today, tons are coming from all over the place.  Places that take longer for product to arrive.
If there is a surge of demand because farmers have waited and all decide to buy on the same day, importers will take longer for new arrivals based on the loss of China as an origin point.
There is still time to prepare and this isn't trying to scare anyone into buying right now.  Merely trying to point out that global phosphate trade flows are still not "normal" and that could mean delays in product arriving if everyone waits until it is too late.
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Chinese exports at December averages...but still low
China, being the world's largest phosphate producing nation and one of the largest exporting nations, needs to be watched for signs of over/under supplies.
There had been hope in the global phosphate market that China was returning to its former phosphate exporting glory.  August/September/October had seen export volumes rise.  While still short of averages, the increase was noted.
However, those flows have slowed considerably to finish 2022.  Both November and December "only" saw exports of around 400,000 tons.  Some are pointing to December with the point that exports matched the 3-year average and that means they are coming back.  That is one way to look at it.  Another is that the cumulative 2022 year is still WELL short of the 3-year average and that could leave an inventory shortfall if demand comes back in a big way...
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Where are current values in relation to the past
NOLA/New Orleans, Louisiana DAP price comparison
Number 5 exporter of DAP/MAP in 2021
Top 5 export destinations (2.6MMT exported in 2021)
  1. Canada (63%)
  2. Brazil (11%)
  3. Colombia (7%)
  4. Mexico (6%)
  5. Australia (5%)

Price comparisons

  • Vs 30 days ago - +7% or approximately $40 higher
  • Vs 90 days ago - -9% or approximately $60 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -17% or approximately $130 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -7% or approximately $50 lower

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U.S. Midwest Average (using multiple points across Midwest) price comparison

  • Vs 30 days ago - -1% or approximately $4 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -15% or approximately $126 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -16% or approximately $136 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -9% or approximately $65 lower

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U.S. Northern Plains Average price comparison

  • Vs 30 days ago - -1% or approximately $10 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -13% or approximately $105 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -15% or approximately $120 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -7% or approximately $50 lower

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U.S. Southern Plains Average price comparison

  • Vs 30 days ago - +4% or approximately $24 higher
  • Vs 90 days ago - -14% or approximately $111 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -14% or approximately $116 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -4% or approximately $26 lower

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Morocco DAP price comparison

Number 2 exporter of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 export destinations (7M exported in 2021)

  1. Brazil (28%)
  2. India (14%)
  3. Bangladesh (8%)
  4. Argentina (6%)
  5. Nigeria (4%)

Price comparisons:

  • Vs 30 days ago - -6% or approximately $48 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -10% or approximately $78 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -30% or approximately $298 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -24% or approximately $218 lower

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Black Sea DAP price comparison

Number 3 exporter of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 export destinations (4MMT exported in 2021)

  1. India (42%)
  2. United States (21%)
  3. Australia (8%)
  4. Brazil (9%)
  5. Kenya (5%)

Price comparisons:

  • Vs 30 days ago - +1% or approximately $5 higher
  • Vs 90 days ago - -1% or approximately $8 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -26% or approximately $232 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -25% or approximately $214 lower

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India DAP price comparison

Number 2 importer of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 import origins (4.8MMT imported in 2021)

  1. China (39%)
  2. Saudi Arabia (35%)
  3. Morocco (20%)
  4. Jordan (3%)
  5. Russia (2%)

Price comparisons:

  • Vs 30 days ago - -7% or approximately $51 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -11% or approximately $85 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -31% or approximately $295 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -28% or approximately $261 lower

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China DAP price comparison

Number 1 exporter of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 export destinations (10MMT exported in 2021)

  1. Brazil (19%)
  2. India (19%)
  3. Pakistan (9%)
  4. Bangladesh (7%)
  5. Thailand (6%)

Price comparisons:

  • Vs 30 days ago - -7% or approximately $50 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -9% or approximately $62 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -31% or approximately $287 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -27% or approximately $234 lower

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Saudi Arabia DAP price comparison

Number 3 exporter of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 export destinations (4.1MMT exported in 2021)

  1. India (42%)
  2. United States (21%)
  3. Australia (9%)
  4. Brazil (8%)
  5. Kenya (5%)

Price comparisons:

  • Vs 30 days ago - -6% or approximately $42 lower
  • Vs 90 days ago - -8% or approximately $60 lower
  • Vs 6 months ago - -29% or approximately $276 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -25% or approximately $223 lower

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Brazil DAP price comparison

Number 1 importer of DAP/MAP in 2021

Top 5 import origins (6.15MMT imported in 2021)

  1. China (32%)
  2. Morocco (31%)
  3. Russia (24%)
  4. Saudi Arabia (5%)
  5. United States (5%)

Price comparisons

  • Vs 30 days ago - +2% or approximately $13 higher
  • Vs 90 days ago - +6% or approximately $38 higher
  • Vs 6 months ago - -32% or approximately $307 lower
  • Vs 1 year ago - -22% or approximately $192 lower

image 62104

Bull/Bear Factors
Because no market is ever guaranteed to go higher/lower, we try to consider the factors that can sway values so that we are able to act when they occur rather than react.
Bullish Factors
  • Grain/phosphate ratios better than last year – when I look at the grain/phosphate graphs below, I fully understand that we are still well above what we have seen the last several years.  However, the ratio is much better than when we approached spring 2022.  This should signal a return to somewhat normal demand.  Compared to the last couple seasons, that would be a huge demand boost.
  • 2022 cumulative Chinese export total well short of average – when the largest producing/one of largest exporting nations falls well short of their average export total, that leaves a shortfall.  The recent decline didn't care much because demand destruction offset it.  However, if demand comes back, that could have prices higher.
  • Lot of global demand coming to prepare for next application cycle – just as much as farmers are holding out for lower prices, so to are global buyers.  No one wants to risk a long position in this marketplace and so are holding out.  However, that just means that demand is building.  If/when that dam breaks, watch out.
Bearish Factors
  • Application rates could still be lower – something I'm thinking about doing going forward is dissecting the graphs into thirds.  When we are in the bottom third, we should be building soil levels.  Middle should be maintenance.  Top third should be mining the soil.  While today's levels are much better than last year, it would be very close to the "mining" line.
  • Summer is looming – today, the market is focused on spring demand which is right around the corner.  Preparation time is running short so sellers feel more in control.  However, there is going to be a very real fear of carrying product into the summer period.  Not only could prices drop, but interest rates are much higher and cost of carry is a very real number.  If fear of carryover starts trumping spring demand, the slide could continue.
  • Grains cannot hold high forever - while I do not want to see this, it is hard to believe that grain prices will hold where they are today which is much higher than historically normal.  Phosphate prices are barely being supported by current grain values.  What happens if grain prices start to tank because we have a fantastic growing year...
Where are the current phosphate/grain ratio values today?
We believe that only looking at the flat price of either grains or fertilizer can be misleading:
  • Only selling grain can hurt you if fertilizer prices rise substantially
  • Only buying fertilizer can hurt you if grain prices fall
We look at the ratio "value" to get a better indication of where we are or how many bushels of X does it take to pay for 1 ton of fertilizer.
Would you rather:
  • Spend 120 bushels to pay for 1 ton of DAP
  • Spend 80 bushels to pay for 1 ton of DAP
When we compare the current ratio value against recent years, we start to see if we are high or low.
YOUR VALUES WILL LOOK DIFFERENT
This graph looks at the NOLA DAP price vs the flat grain price. There are no logistics on either product. Your location will look different due to fertilizer logistical costs, grain basis, etc.
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Josh Linville’s focal points
  • Chinese export levels - while Chinese exports were improving, November/December dropped back.  Worse, the cumulative total for 2022 was well below the 3-year average.  Some theorize that exports will jump considerably based on the need of cash flow and inland Chinese storage being filled up.  Others are saying production is down and China has little need to produce much more than what is needed domestically.  Whichever is right will be well down the road to being right.  
  • Spring is coming/logistical concerns - the modern day farmer is much more in sync with the markets than they were 10 - 20 years ago.  Phosphate values dropping has not been a huge surprise which is why many have held off.  Rightfully so.  However, the retail sector has also held off because they cannot sustain ten's to hundred's of dollars of losses.  Supply chain?  Same thing.  With buying delays in the face of a bear cycle, it would be foolish to think supply issues will not pop up.  I hope that doesn't happen but it is a high concern today. 
  • Russia/Ukraine - I had been hopeful that Russia would give up on its invasion of Ukraine and the world would return to normal.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are preparing for another offensive that could continue to spiral out of control.  If this happens and major economic sanctions are levied on Russia that affect phosphate exports, it will tighten global supplies.

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