Ontario producers may be paying less for fuel this fall, but pesticides and fertilizer are costing them slightly more compared to a year earlier.
The latest update of the Ontario/U.S. Farm Input Monitoring Project – a survey of both Ontario and U.S. farm supply stores to collect cash retail prices that commercial farmers pay when purchasing bulk fuels, fertilizers, and pesticides - was conducted Oct. 2 by the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus.
The survey found that Ontario fuel prices on average were down about 10% from the previous year, while fertilizers were up about 2% and pesticides just slightly higher. (Compared to the spring, when the survey for the previous farm input monitoring project was taken, fuel prices were down 4%, fertilizers down 3% and pesticides down 1%).
Meanwhile, U.S. product prices when compared to last October showed that fuel prices on average were down 15%, fertilizer prices were down 4% on average, and pesticide prices on average were unchanged.
For the latest October survey, regular unleaded gasoline prices in Ontario averaged $1.07/litre, while diesel fuel (coloured) averaged $1 and propane (farm dryer) prices averaged 42 cents/litre.
Ontario fertilizer prices for October showed Urea prices ranging from $370 to $475/ton with an average price of $412. Nitrogen Solution (UAN) 28% prices averaged $249/ton. Mono-Ammonium Phosphate prices ranged from $440 to $604 with an average price of $505/ton. Muriate of Potash prices averaged $385/ton with a range from $360 to $440.
With respect to Ontario pesticide prices, Atrazine in October ranged from $13.24 to $25/gallon with an average of $16.96. Halex GT prices averaged $58.56/gallon while Dual II Magnum averaged $109.88/gallon. Prowl H20 prices ranged from $39.27 to $61.08/gallon. The price for Classic varied from $13.60 to $20.23 with an average price of $17.02/ounce. Warrior II prices ranged from $259 to $407.07/gallon.
Source : Syngenta