That Sweet, Sweet Stench

Apr 8, 2022

Spring planting is underway. And with synthetic fertilizer prices skyrocketing into the stratosphere, #2 is becoming a #1 commodity.

Fertilizer fallout: With demand up and supply down, fertilizer prices have officially entered crazy town.

Last month, CRU Group out of London reported that the price of phosphorus and potash has tripled since 2020. Nitrogen? Quadrupled.

The insane input prices are expected to force many farmers into reducing their acres of fertilizer-intensive corn and wheat crops.

And the hero makes an entrance.

Poo Patrol is on a roll: In an effort to feed their crops and not break the bank, more and more grain farmers are transitioning to the Old Faithful of fertilizers—manure.

And livestock producers are happy to supply the good stuff. The past problems of trying to dispose of excess manure (by even giving it away) are long gone for much of the Corn Belt. Many producers are getting more manure requests than they can supply.

And…it’s boosting their bottom line. Just in Nebraska, solid manure prices have doubled, often hovering between $11 and $14 per ton. Smells like money.

Honeywagon hold-up: Equipment manufacturers are also working overtime. The demand for rear-end fertilizer has boosted spreader sales, and some companies are sold out for several months.

No time like the present: According to Kristina TeBockhorst and Daniel Andersen with Iowa State, applying that powerful poop this spring is perfect timing: “Getting manure nutrients to the right field at the right time [spring] makes manure more valuable than ever.”