How high will the price of fertilizer get this year?
Short Answer
1. Market Behavior & Drivers
- World Bank and Rabobank consistently forecast significant price increases for 2026.
- Geopolitical disruptions and low inventories drive expected high fertilizer prices.
- Strait of Hormuz closure or China export policies may impact supply chains.
- Natural gas prices likely significantly influence US fertilizer production costs.
- CME Futures settlements offer timely data for tracking US urea prices.
Who Wins and Why
| Outcome | Market | Model | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above $1200 | 5.0% | 10.0% | The World Bank and Rabobank forecast significant price increases due to geopolitical disruptions and low inventories. |
| Above $1000 | 78.0% | 83.8% | The World Bank and Rabobank forecast significant price increases due to geopolitical disruptions and low inventories. |
| Above $1100 | 25.0% | 36.3% | The World Bank and Rabobank forecast significant price increases due to geopolitical disruptions and low inventories. |
| Above $1300 | 34.0% | 7.0% | The World Bank and Rabobank forecast significant price increases due to geopolitical disruptions and low inventories. |
| Above $1500 | 31.0% | 4.0% | Research does not highlight strong supporting evidence. |
Current Context
Sources (10)
- 1April 2026 Commodity Markets Outlook [EN/AR/PT/RU/ZH] - Worldreliefweb.int
- 2Middle East War to Spark Biggest Energy Price Surge in Four Yearsworldbank.org
- 3World Bank Commodity Outlook 2026: 46% Fertilizer Surgejuggerinsight.com
- 4Fertilizer Prices Surge Ahead of a Critical Planting Season - OpenMarketscmegroup.com
- 5The 2026 Fertilizer Crunch: Geopolitical Strife Ignites $650 Urea and Reshapes American Fields | WSILwsil.marketminute.com
- 6Global fertiliser outlook - how countries are weathering the crisisagriland.ie
- 7Semi-Annual Global Fertilizer Outlook - Rabobankrabobank.com
- 8War Stresses Global Fertilizer Markets | Rabobankrabobankna.com
- 9Strait of Hormuz Disruption Scenarios and Fertilizer Purchasing Risks for U.S. Crop Producers - farmdoc dailyfarmdocdaily.illinois.edu
- 10December 31, 2026: How high will the price of fertilizer get this year Prediction Marketrobinhood.com
2. Price Chart
Historical Price (Probability)
3. Significant Price Movements
Notable price changes detected in the chart, along with research into what caused each movement.
Outcome: Above $1100
📈 May 07, 2026: 30.0pp spike
Price increased from 62.0% to 92.0%
📉 May 01, 2026: 21.0pp drop
Price decreased from 72.0% to 51.0%
Outcome: Above $1200
📈 May 06, 2026: 15.0pp spike
Price increased from 35.0% to 50.0%
Outcome: Above $1000
📈 May 05, 2026: 10.0pp spike
Price increased from 79.0% to 89.0%
📉 April 30, 2026: 11.0pp drop
Price decreased from 86.0% to 75.0%
Sources (9)
- 1illinois.edufarmdocdaily.illinois.edu
- 2cmegroup.com
- 3wylr.net
- 4dtnpf.com
- 5Middle East War to Spark Biggest Energy Price Surge in Four Yearsworldbank.org
- 66 Fertilizer Prices See Sizeable Moves Higherdtnpf.com
- 75 Fertilizers Significantly Cost More Than Month Ago, 4 by Double Digitsdtnpf.com
- 8World Bank projects sharp rise in fertiliser prices for 2026, warns of food inflation risksgbcghanaonline.com
- 9ucs.orgblog.ucs.org
4. Market Data
Contract Snapshot
This market resolves to "Yes" if the average price of Urea (46-0-0) fertilizer, as reported by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Illinois Production Cost Reports, exceeds $1000 per ton after the contract's issuance and before January 1, 2027; otherwise, it resolves to "No." The market opened on March 20, 2026, and will close early if the price condition is met, or by December 31, 2026, at 11:59pm EST, with projected payouts 30 minutes after closing. Insider trading by employees of the source agencies or individuals with material, non-public information is prohibited.
Available Contracts
Market options and current pricing
| Outcome bucket | Yes (price) | No (price) | Last trade probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above $1000 | $0.79 | $0.82 | 78% |
| Above $1300 | $0.74 | $0.98 | 34% |
| Above $1500 | $0.94 | $0.98 | 31% |
| Above $1600 | $0.98 | $0.80 | 27% |
| Above $1400 | $0.98 | $0.98 | 26% |
| Above $1100 | $0.92 | $0.78 | 25% |
| Above $1200 | $0.43 | $0.95 | 5% |
Market Discussion
Despite some initial projections for a modest decline, fertilizer prices surged in 2025 and continued to increase, with sharp rises observed in early 2026 due to geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz [1][2][3][4][5][6]. This upward trend is further fueled by supply disruptions, such as China's potential halt of urea exports until August 2026, high input costs, and strained logistics [4][5][7][8]. Consequently, prices are expected to remain high and volatile throughout 2026, pressuring farm profitability and increasing the risk of global food inflation [1][9][10][11].
5. Trust Index
Order book is critically thin.
Primary risk· Trade quality
Includes the cost to trade: a $1,000 order can't be filled here because the order book is too thin.
Weighted blend with hard caps — a critically weak safety pillar, or a severe trading anomaly, caps the total regardless of the rest. Full methodology · About the Trust Index
6. What potential escalations in the Strait of Hormuz or changes to China's export policies could most significantly impact fertilizer supply chains before year-end 2026?
| Strait of Hormuz closure | February 2026 [1] |
|---|---|
| Urea price surge post-closure | 30-60% [1] |
| China's potential supply removal | 40 million metric tons [2][3][4][5] |
Sources (10)
- 1Strait of Hormuz Conflict Tightens Global Fertilizer Supply and Crop Marginscommodity-board.com
- 2China Reins in Fertilizer Exports as War Pushes Up Global Prices - Bloombergbloomberg.com
- 3China limits fertilizer exports as the country prioritizes domestic market — Fertilizer Dailyfertilizerdaily.com
- 4China restricts fertilizer exports, further crimping war-tightened supply - AgCanadaagcanada.com
- 5OilChem: China implements sweeping fertilizer export ban | Mysteelmysteel.net
- 6Strait of Hormuz Disruption Scenarios and Fertilizer Purchasing Risks for U.S. Crop Producers - farmdoc dailyfarmdocdaily.illinois.edu
- 7Strait of Hormuz Closure and Fertilizer Supply Risks for U.S. Agriculture - farmdoc dailyfarmdocdaily.illinois.edu
- 8Breaking Down the April 2026 NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor: Fertilizer Price Projections Under Strait of Hormuz Disruption Scenarioscapts-ndsu.com
- 9World Bank Commodity Outlook 2026: 46% Fertilizer Surgejuggerinsight.com
- 10Hormuz Fertilizer Crisis: A Chokepoint Threat to Global Food Security 2026 | geopolitics | informed, clearlyinformedclearly.com
7. What underlying data on farm economics and global inventories validates the high-price forecasts for H2 2026 from the World Bank and Rabobank?
| World Bank 2026 Fertilizer Price Increase | 31% in 2026 [1][2] |
|---|---|
| Rabobank Affordability Index | Lowest in 18 years [3][4] |
| Asian Urea Inventories | 3-12 weeks of supply [5][6] |
Sources (9)
- 1Middle East War to Spark Biggest Energy Price Surge in Four Yearsworldbank.org
- 2The Commodity Markets Outlook in eight chartsblogs.worldbank.org
- 3Poor affordability to pressure global fertiliser demand in 2026 – Rabobank outlookrabobank.co.nz
- 4Semi-Annual Global Fertilizer Outlook - Rabobankrabobank.com
- 5Fertilizer Supply Crisis: Global Food Security Threatened as Prices Soar Amid 2026 Conflict-Related Disruptionsinvestor.wedbush.com
- 6bne IntelliNews - Global fertiliser market starting to feel the pinch as stockpiles run lowintellinews.com
- 7Fertilizer prices could stay high until 2027agtechnavigator.com
- 8U.S. Net Farm Income Projected to Fall in 2026iowafarmbureau.com
- 94 Key Strategies Grain Producers Need to Navigate 2026’s Tight Marginsfarmcrediteast.com
8. How do the Farmdoc Daily price scenarios for 2026 differ from the World Bank's outlook based on their core assumptions about conflict duration and supply disruptions?
| Urea Peak (Quick Reopening) | ~$782/short ton in June 2026 [1] |
|---|---|
| Urea Peak (Extended Conflict) | ~$996/short ton in October 2026 [1] |
| World Bank Urea Price Increase | 60% in 2026 [2][3] |
Sources (3)
- 1Strait of Hormuz Disruption Scenarios and Fertilizer Purchasing Risks for U.S. Crop Producers - farmdoc dailyfarmdocdaily.illinois.edu
- 2April 2026 Commodity Markets Outlook [EN/AR/PT/RU/ZH] - World | ReliefWebreliefweb.int
- 3Middle East War to Spark Biggest Energy Price Surge in Four Yearsworldbank.org
9. Which specific USDA and CME Group reports provide the most timely data for tracking the US urea prices relevant to this market's 2026 resolution?
| CME Urea FOB US Gulf Futures settlement time | 14:30 CT market data [1][2][3] |
|---|---|
| USDA AMS Fertilizer Market Reports frequency | weekly or bi-weekly [4] |
| USDA AMS Iowa Production Cost Report example | $520-$728/ton avg $624 as of April 3, 2026 [5][6] |
Sources (8)
- 1Urea (Granular) FOB US Gulf Futures Contract Specs - CME Groupcmegroup.com
- 2Fertilizer Futures and Swaps - CME Group Client Systems Wiki - Confluencecmegroupclientsite.atlassian.net
- 3FAQ: 10-Ton Urea U.S. Gulf Futures and Options - CME Groupcmegroup.com
- 4https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_3657.pdfams.usda.gov
- 5https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_2863.pdfams.usda.gov
- 6Report-Iowa Production Cost Report (Bi-Weekly) | MMNmymarketnews.ams.usda.gov
- 7Urea (Granular) FOB US Gulf Futures Quotes - CME Groupcmegroup.com
- 8Urea (Granular) FOB US Gulf Futures Settlements - CME Groupcmegroup.com
10. How are projected 2026 natural gas prices from the EIA and CME Group expected to influence US fertilizer production costs and final market prices?
| Variable Cost of Ammonia/Urea Production | 70-90% from natural gas [1][2] |
|---|---|
| Projected 2026 Henry Hub Natural Gas Price | $3.67/MMBtu (EIA average) [3][4][5] |
| US Urea Retail Price (March-April 2026) | $650-$823/ton [6][7] |
Sources (9)
- 1Ammonia: Natural Gas Costs Squeeze Global Fertilizer Margins in Q2 2026 | CommodityNodecommoditynode.com
- 2Key Questions About Fertilizer and Its Price Answered | CF Industriescfindustries.com
- 3Short-Term Energy Outlook - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)eia.gov
- 4Short-Term Energy Outlook - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)eia.gov
- 5US EIA trims 2026 US spot gas price forecasts on near-average storage expectation | S&P Globalspglobal.com
- 6The Nitrogen Trap: Natural Gas Spikes Send Urea Prices Soaring to $665, Threatening Global Food Securityinvestor.wedbush.com
- 7The 2026 Fertilizer Crunch: Geopolitical Strife Ignites $650 Urea and Reshapes American Fieldsinvestor.wedbush.com
- 8Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures Settlements - CME Groupcmegroup.com
- 9From gas to grain: Fertilizer disruptions raise risks for food security and trade | UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)unctad.org
11. What Could Change the Odds
Key Catalysts
Key Dates & Catalysts
- Expiration: January 01, 2027
- Closes: January 01, 2027
Sources (5)
- 1Middle East War to Spark Biggest Energy Price Surge in Four Yearsworldbank.org
- 2Retail fertilizer prices April 2026: urea $858, anhydrous $1,114agroinformacion.com
- 3Fertilizer prices today, May 6, 2026: World urea prices reach $857/ton.vietnam.vn
- 4https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/40ebbf38f5a6b68bfc11e5273e1405d4-0090012022/related/Food-and-Nutrition-Security-Update-121-March-27-2026v2.pdfthedocs.worldbank.org
- 5Semi-Annual Global Fertilizer Outlook - Rabobankrabobank.com
13. Historical Resolutions
Historical Resolutions: 8 markets in this series
Outcomes: 8 resolved YES, 0 resolved NO
Recent resolutions:
- KXFERT-26-900: YES (Apr 17, 2026)
- KXFERT-26-800: YES (Mar 20, 2026)
- KXFERT-26-700: YES (Mar 20, 2026)
- KXFERT-26-650: YES (Mar 20, 2026)
- KXFERT-26-625: YES (Mar 20, 2026)