Let the fleecing begin!

[AdamSmith]

I bought NH3 for $450/t for mid-row banding when I seeded winter wheat.

This was our local AU's fall applied price, fall applied only.

By the time they came out with a prebuy for '07 the price was over $600/t at Xmas was at $700/t

It looks to me like the fert manufactures and distributors want to entice farmers back into applying some in the fall again.

Really cheap in the fall and really expensive in the spring. So if they are going to reward a farmer for fall application why not take advantage. In fact I think my germination might even be better on my canola if I disturb the soil a little bit with the knives in the fall.

I'll sit on the tractor for 10 or 15 days in the fall for $30,000 .

[furrowtickler]

I had a fear that this was going to happen, get everyone into one pass seeding then stick it to them. Either buy n and put it on, store on farm or pay through the nose for spring. The fact is the fert companies want to do away with pre-buy alltogether without delivery. I think the days are gone were one could go in and pre-buy nov/dec then pick up in the spring - in the near future, JMO.
With the price of diesel and depreciation pre hr on a 300-450hp tractor it is not cheap to fall band anymore either. We put on 40% less hrs/yr now that we do not fall band. Just some thoughts.

[furrowtickler]

SaskFarmer3, 100,000 should get you well over half with your Nitrogen.

[makar]

I could have had 46-0-0 at 390 this fall if i paid cash and took delivery. Since i can not sell grain i have no money and my bins are full. Are the companies squeezing us both ways?

[Ron]

Same situation here, couldnt move enough grain to pay important bills and credit charges would (probably) negate any savings on prebooked fert so I looked at nat gas prices and said no way, it will be cheaper in the spring. Looks like I will be wrong (again).

[Ron]

Ron,, you should of looked a little closer at those interest charges because you would've been a way further ahead by putting it on your account. Unless... I hear what your saying I booked mine also but actually though it should be down in Spring.

[sawfly]

it looks like we farmers are going to have disipline ourselves to prebuy at least a portion of our N (46 -0-0)from offshore. to keep a lid on prices

the fert industrys (delibrate) timming on price increases makes it tight to get alternate supply from the middle east here in time.

i too am thinking about moveing away from NH3 to 46-0-0 . the thought of not being able to lock in a fert price is scary.

at least with fert. we have the middle east option for competition.

no such luck in the herbicide market , with no offshore competition allowed , even with patents expired.
their gonna squeeze another 7-10% out of us.

hopefully they will get really greedy and the farmers will revolt.

then get some laws changed to put an end to their ( supply management , monopoly , cartel)