Urea Moves Lower; 6 Fertilizers Continue To Be Slightly Higher

OMAHA (DTN) — Retail fertilizer prices continue to be mostly higher, according to prices tracked by DTN for the fourth full week of May 2026.

Six fertilizers were slightly more expensive, while two fertilizers were less expensive than a month ago. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more. Urea cost 5% less. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $823/ton. UAN32 was just slightly lower in price, with an average price of $585/ton.

The six fertilizers slightly higher compared to last month were DAP with an average price of $914/ton, MAP $953/ton, potash $494/ton, 10-34-0 $723/ton, anhydrous $1,118/ton and UAN28 $530/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.90/lb.N, anhydrous $0.68/lb.N, UAN28 $0.95/lb.N and UAN32 $0.91/lb.N.

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) told a group of farmers last Tuesday gathered in Texas that the commission is investigating anticompetitive behavior in the fertilizer industry. DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton reported that the FTC would need farmers help to bring a case against the industry. (See “FTC Investigating Fertilizer Market,” https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2026/05/28/texas-gathering-ftc-announces-amid)

More than 100 corn farmers from 18 states organized their own field hearing with the FTC staff and Chairman Andrew Ferguson at a farm about an hour north of the Dallas metro area. “Farmers pointed to consistently high fertilizer prices while arguing that a small number of fertilizer suppliers are profiting at the expensive of hundreds of thousands of farmers,” Clayton wrote.

“We want the commission to understand how the price moves here in the United States,” Ohio farmer John Settlemyre said. “We want them to understand with substitution looks like when there isn’t any.”

Ferguson told the farmers in attendance the FTC has launched an investigation into the fertilizer industry. He pointed to USDA data showing the single-largest rise in input costs for farmers since 2020 has come from fertilizer prices.

All eight fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier by the following amounts: Potash (4%); 10-34-0 (8%); both DAP and MAP (15%); UAN32 (18%); urea (24%); UAN32 (27%); and anhydrous (44%).

DTN gathers fertilizer price bids from agriculture retailers each week to compile the DTN Fertilizer Index. DTN first began reporting data in November 2008.

In addition to national averages, MyDTN subscribers can access the full DTN Fertilizer Index, which includes state averages, here: https://www.mydtn.com/agriculture/web/ag/markets/fuels-fertilizers#!/fertilizers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a waiver for the transportation of fertilizer products in certain states last week. You can read about here: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2026/05/27/fertilizer-prices-fall-first-time-14.

Russ Quinn can be reached at Russ.Quinn@dtn.com

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