How much does fertiliser cost?
How much does fertiliser cost? Well, it really depends on the type of fertiliser that you are looking for, and how much you are willing to spend. You see, technically speaking you can get fertiliser for free. Most fertilisers are simply made up from manure. So, if you really wanted to try and save yourself some money…well, you just need to go around collecting poop from various animals and you’ll be good to go. Joking aside however, the cost of fertiliser varies by type and is constantly fluctuating as the market evolves.
Urea fertilizer price
According to Indexmuni, as of May 2021, the price per metric ton for Urea fertilizer was $427.12 AUD. That is approximately $110 higher than the previous year. The frightening thing however, is that $100 climb wasn’t the end of the spike.
Due to global demand, Australian farmers are having to contend with the rise in nitrogen fertiliser costs, with the price of Urea climbing even further at a whopping $700 a ton!
Potash price
The price of Potash fertiliser, as of May 2021, was $260.81 AUD per metric ton. This is actually $70 cheaper than the previous year. These lower prices are bound to attract more farmers, given the significant rise in Urea fertiliser prices over recent months.
DAP fertiliser price
The DAP fertiliser price (or diammonium phosphate), as of May 2021, was $740.08 per metric ton. That was a 4.86% climb from April. Last year in December, DAP fertiliser price was $518.49 per metric ton, so this fertiliser has seen quite a large spike in the first half of 2021.
Chicken manure price per ton
As for the chicken manure price per ton, it is coming in at around $400 AUD.
Ammonia prices
As for Ammonia fertiliser prices, you are looking at around $432 per metric ton.
Bulk fertiliser prices
When buying anything in bulk, you can certainly save yourself a fair bit of money. However, offering bulk fertiliser prices is difficult, given how many varieties there are. So, if you want the answer to this question, then you need to narrow down your search and decide on which type of fertiliser is best for your needs. Let’s take a look at a few different types of fertilisers and their uses, for your convenience:
The Various Types of Fertilisers and Their Intended Uses
Nitrogen Fertilisers: Nitrate-based fertilisers are among the most commonly used fertilisers. The main products that make up nitrate-based fertilisers (e.g., ammonium nitrate and calcium ammonium nitrate) are typically well-suited to Australian soils.
Phosphorous Fertilisers: One of the most common phosphate fertilisers is single superphosphate. You may also recognise triple superphosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate.
These types of fertilisers vary with different release profiles; some qith quick-release, while others are better for spreading.
Potassium Fertilisers: Potassium fertilisers come in a wide range, typically with two or more nutrients, such as potassium chloride, sulphate, potassium nitrate, and sulphate of potash.
Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur Fertilisers: Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur, are each essential secondary plant nutrients. These are crucial in fact, when it comes to growing healthy plants with attractive crop yields. Typically, these are not applied as straight fertilisers, but are used in conjunction with one another.
You may find that sulphur is often added to straight nitrate fertilisers, such as Urea or ammonium nitrate. You can also find sulphur in single superphosphate, potassium sulphate, and Kainite.
Micronutrient Fertilisers: Today, there are plenty of different fertilisers, each available to supply plants with the various micronutrients that are essential for optimal growth (e.g., iron, boron, zinc, copper, and manganese). These can either come in organic, or inorganic compounds—with the inorganic compounds being split further into greater variety as soluble or non-soluble solutions.
Inhibitors: As for inhibitors, there are two types that are widely uses today:
- Nitrification inhibitors are types of chemical compounds that essentially delay the nitrification of ammonium by suppressing the activity of the nitrosomonas active within the soil. The object of this is to preserve the ammonium and ultimately slow the conversion to nitrate. This will temporarily reduce the nitrate proportions in the soil, ensuring that less is leached into the water, with fewer N2O gases forming in the atmosphere.
- Urease inhibitors are also used for delaying. These chemical compounds delay the first step of the degradation process of Urea in soil. This significantly reduces the number of ammonia emissions in the air, which is one of our major pollutants.
Depending on the type of crop or plant that you are intending to grow will determine the best type of fertiliser for you. You can even look at organic fertilisers such as crop residues, and animal manures (such as chicken manure as priced above).
Conclusion
Please do not take the prices listed in this article as gospel. Again, they are always subject to change and regularly fluctuate as demand changes. In any case, this should give you a rough idea as to what to expect for the average bulk prices of fertiliser per metric ton.
We hope you have found this article useful and have somewhat narrowed down your search as to which fertiliser variety will be best utilised for your crops. If you are interested in getting more accurate prices on the various fertiliser types, we recommend checking out a reputable supplier like Tkkfer. There you can see up-to-date prices on various fertilisers which can be purchased in bulk.
