Reviewed September 2026 against USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regional fertilizer reports, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, and DTN Progressive Farmer spot price coverage.

Try it: Run your own numbers →

US potash (MOP, 0-0-60) is trading around $488-$497 per short ton at retail as of mid-2026, according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service reports. Urea has moved from roughly $674/ton in March 2026 to $443/ton FOB NOLA barge by early September 2026, and anhydrous ammonia sat at $915.50/ton in Illinois in August 2026. Sulphate of potash (SOP) does not have a USDA-published national price series, but market reporting consistently puts it $100-$200/ton above MOP because of the extra refining step and its use on chloride-sensitive crops.

Where Potash Prices Stand Right Now

The fastest-moving number in fertilizer right now isn’t potash — it’s urea. US urea spot prices climbed to about $674/ton by mid-March 2026 and kept rising to roughly $826/ton at Corn Belt retail by late March 2026, according to DTN Progressive Farmer’s weekly ag input tracking. By early September 2026, wholesale urea FOB NOLA barge had fallen back to about $443/ton, per DTN’s September 2, 2026 report — a swing of nearly $400/ton inside six months. Potash has been comparatively calmer: USDA AMS put MOP (0-0-60) at $488/ton nationally in March 2026, and by July 2026 state-level retail averages were $493.38/ton in Iowa and $497.50/ton in Illinois (potash white, 0-0-62).

• ✔ Potash (MOP): $488-$497/ton at US retail, March-July 2026, per USDA AMS.
• 📊 Urea: swung from $674/ton (mid-March 2026) to $826/ton (late March 2026) to $443/ton (early September 2026, wholesale NOLA).
• ⚠ Anhydrous ammonia: $915.50/ton in Illinois, August 2026, per USDA AMS.
• 🌱 DAP / MAP: $795/ton and $960/ton respectively, August 2026, per Agrolatam’s US fertilizer market coverage.
• 🔎 Sulphate of potash (SOP): no USDA national series exists; expect a $100-$200/ton premium over MOP based on market reporting — see the SOP section below for how to get a number specific to your state.
• Try it: Run your own numbers

What Is Potash? MOP vs SOP, Explained

“Potash” covers a family of potassium-bearing salts. The two forms that matter for US row-crop and specialty growers are muriate of potash (KCl) and sulfate of potash (K₂SO₄).

1. Muriate of Potash (KCl):
   • Description: The dominant form in US and global trade. Known as “MOP.”
   • Content: Roughly 60% K₂O equivalent.
   • Application: Standard choice for broadacre crops — corn, soybeans, wheat — unless chloride sensitivity is a concern.
   • Price: $488-$497/ton at US retail, March-July 2026, per USDA AMS.
2. Sulfate of Potash (K₂SO₄):
   • Description: Contains both potassium and sulfur; known as “SOP.”
   • Content: Lower chloride, which matters for crops that are sensitive to it.
   • Price: No USDA-published national figure exists (see the dedicated section below); expect a premium over MOP.
   • Application: Used on potatoes, tobacco, tree fruit, grapes, and vegetables where chloride buildup limits quality or yield.

Visual List: Main Potash Compounds in Fertilizer

• 🟢
  KCl
  Muriate of Potash
• 🟣
  K₂SO₄
  Sulfate of Potash
• 🍂
  SOP-Mg
  Potassium-Magnesium Sulfate (for magnesium-deficient soils)

US Fertilizer Prices: Potash, Urea, Ammonia, DAP, MAP

Anyone searching “fertilizer prices news today urea potash” wants the same thing: what these products actually cost right now, from a source that updates. Here’s the comparison across the major US fertilizer inputs, all figures from USDA AMS, DTN Progressive Farmer, or Agrolatam’s US market coverage — no estimates.

US Fertilizer Price Snapshot (2026)

Note the basis differences: NOLA barge prices are wholesale and reflect what moves through the Gulf export/import terminal before freight and retail markup, while AMS regional reports capture what a farmer is quoted at a local retailer. A $443/ton NOLA urea quote in September doesn’t mean $443/ton delivered to an Iowa farm gate — freight, storage, and dealer margin sit on top of that. For a direct comparison to what this page’s 2025 companion piece tracked, see Potash Prices: Key Trends Shaping Agriculture.

Sulphate of Potash Pricing: What’s Published, What Isn’t

Here’s the honest answer for “sulphate of potash fertilizer” pricing: there is no USDA AMS or NASS series that publishes a national SOP price the way there is for MOP, urea, DAP, or MAP. Market and trade reporting puts SOP at a $100-$200/ton premium over MOP, which — against the $488-$497/ton MOP range from USDA AMS above — would put SOP somewhere in the $588-$697/ton range, but that figure is a market-derived estimate, not an official USDA number, and should be treated as a starting range rather than a quote.

If you need an exact SOP price for your operation, the reliable path is to call your regional fertilizer retailer directly and ask for a written quote, or check the AMS regional report for your state at ams.usda.gov/mnreports — some state reports do carry SOP or “K-Mag” (potassium-magnesium sulfate) line items even though there isn’t a consolidated national series. SOP’s premium exists because it requires an extra processing step (usually reacting MOP with sulfuric acid, or mining langbeinite directly) and because demand is concentrated in higher-value specialty crops — potatoes, tree fruit, tobacco, grapes — where growers pay for the lower chloride load rather than shopping strictly on price per unit of K₂O.

US Potash Supply: Production, Consumption, Imports

The reason US potash prices track global and especially Canadian markets so closely comes down to supply structure. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 (covering 2024 data), the United States produced 420,000 metric tons of potash (K₂O equivalent) domestically in 2024 — almost entirely from operations in New Mexico and Utah — against apparent consumption of 6.4 million metric tons. That gap is filled by imports, and 88% of US potash imports in 2023-2024 came from Canada, per the same USGS report, making Saskatchewan’s mines the single most important external factor in what a US farmer pays.

• ✔ US domestic production: 420,000 metric tons K₂O equivalent, 2024 (USGS).
• 📊 US apparent consumption: 6.4 million metric tons K₂O equivalent, 2024 (USGS).
• ⚠ Import dependence: roughly 93% of US potash demand is met by imports (consumption minus domestic production), with 88% of those imports sourced from Canada, 2023-2024 (USGS).

USGS updates this data annually every January in the Mineral Commodity Summaries; the 2025 edition above covers full-year 2024 figures, and the next release — covering 2025 — is due January 2027. For the most current production and trade figures at any point after that, go directly to USGS’s potash Mineral Commodity Summary rather than relying on a secondary source.

Potash Cost-Per-Acre Calculator

Use your own field’s target application rate and the current MOP or SOP price you’ve been quoted to see actual cost per acre and per ton of product needed.

Assumptions and exclusions: This calculator converts a target K₂O rate into product tonnage and cost using the K₂O share you select; it does not include freight, application/custom spreading fees, blending charges, or sales tax, and it assumes even broadcast application rather than variable-rate zones. Enter the exact price you’ve been quoted by your retailer — the defaults are the USDA AMS national and Illinois figures cited above and will not match your local price.

Applying Potash: Matching Rate to Crop and Soil

How to Align Potash Application with Crop, Soil, and Timing

• 📅 Match to Growth Stages: Apply potash at critical stages — root development, early tillering, tuber bulking, and pre-flowering.
• 🧪 Soil Type Matters: Sandy soils with low native potassium need more frequent or split applications; loams need less supplementation, confirmed by a current soil test rather than assumption.
• 🔄 Rotation Advantage: High-consuming crops — corn, potatoes — draw down soil K reserves faster than small grains, so rotation history should adjust your rate.
• 🌱 Blends Beat Single-Nutrient: Custom NPK blends with micronutrients improve potassium use efficiency versus straight MOP or SOP applied alone.
• 🚜 Application Method: Band, broadcast, and fertigation each suit different soil types and crop demands — band placement typically reduces the total product needed versus broadcast on the same field.

Visual List: Signs of Potassium Deficiency

• 🚩
  Leaf scorching or yellowing at leaf margins
• 🌾
  Poor grain or fruit fill
• 🌿
  Weak stems prone to lodging
• 🍠
  Small or misshapen roots/tubers

How to Track Fertilizer Prices Going Forward

Whatever the potash, urea, and ammonia numbers say the week you’re reading this, the point of this section is that you can get a fresher number than the one above without waiting for someone to rewrite this article. Here’s exactly where each figure in this piece comes from and how often it updates:

• 🗓️ US potash, ammonia, and urea retail prices: USDA AMS publishes bi-weekly regional Production Cost Reports by state — search by state at ams.usda.gov/mnreports. The Illinois and Iowa figures cited in this article came from AMS reports 2863 (March 2026) and 3195 (July-August 2026); look for the current report numbers for your state.
• 🌍 US potash production, consumption, and import sources: USGS publishes the Mineral Commodity Summaries annually every January. The 2025 edition (2024 data) is the source for the production, consumption, and Canada-import figures above; the 2026 edition covering 2025 data was due January 2027 at the time of this review.
• 🚢 Weekly spot prices for urea, ammonia, DAP, and MAP: DTN Progressive Farmer updates its commodity price coverage weekly, especially through the spring planting season — check their agriculture commodity section for the current week’s ask and bid prices by region.
• 📈 Longer-run “prices paid” trends: NASS QuickStats tracks prices paid indexes for potash and nitrogen fertilizers going back years, which AMS’s bi-weekly snapshots don’t provide on their own.

Potash Exploration, Mining, and Satellite Intelligence

With under 7% of US potash demand met by domestic mines (per the USGS figures above), new supply — whether a US project or a new Canadian mine — is the long-run lever on price that a farmer can’t influence season to season. Traditional ground exploration for potash deposits takes years and requires extensive drilling before a deposit’s extent is known. Satellite-based mineral detection compresses that discovery phase.

FAQ on Potash Pricing and Application

1. What is the current US potash price?
   USDA AMS reported MOP (0-0-60) at $488/ton nationally in March 2026, with state retail averages of $493.38/ton in Iowa and $497.50/ton in Illinois by July 2026. Check ams.usda.gov/mnreports for the current bi-weekly figure in your state.
2. What is the price of sulphate of potash fertilizer?
   There’s no USDA national SOP price series. Market reporting places SOP $100-$200/ton above MOP, which against the $488-$497/ton MOP range would put SOP around $588-$697/ton — but that’s a market-derived estimate, not an official figure. Get a written quote from your regional retailer for an exact number.
3. What are ammonia fertilizer prices right now?
   Anhydrous ammonia was $915.50/ton in Illinois in August 2026, per USDA AMS. Ammonia prices move with natural gas costs, since gas is the primary feedstock for ammonia synthesis, so watch gas markets alongside AMS reports for directional signals.
4. Why do US fertilizer prices move so much month to month?
   Urea alone swung from about $674/ton to $826/ton and back down to $443/ton across March-September 2026 (DTN Progressive Farmer). Drivers include natural gas costs (nitrogen), Canadian mine and rail conditions (potash — 88% of US potash imports come from Canada per USGS), freight and barge rates, and seasonal demand spikes around spring planting.
5. Is SOP always better than MOP?
   Not necessarily. SOP suits chloride-sensitive crops — potatoes, tobacco, tree fruit, grapes — but costs more per ton and typically carries a lower K₂O share than standard MOP. MOP remains the standard for corn, soybeans, and wheat.
6. How often should I test my soil for potassium?
   At least once per crop rotation — more frequently on sandy, heavily irrigated soils or after several high-consuming crops like corn or potatoes.
7. Where can I find historical potash and nitrogen price trends, not just today’s spot price?
   USDA NASS’s Prices Paid Indexes track fertilizer costs over multi-year periods; combine that with AMS’s bi-weekly regional reports and DTN’s weekly spot coverage for a complete current-and-historical picture.
8. What’s the value of satellite-based mineral detection for potash supply?
   With under 7% of US potash demand met by domestic production, new supply depends on new discoveries. Satellite-based screening accelerates identifying potential potash-bearing zones ahead of costly ground drilling programs.

Summary: Working With Potash Prices, Not Against Them

Potash prices move for reasons that are traceable, not random: Canadian supply (88% of US imports), domestic production that covers barely 7% of US demand, and seasonal retail demand cycles. Urea and ammonia move faster and further, driven heavily by natural gas costs and global trade flows.

• ✔ Check the source, not a summary: USDA AMS (bi-weekly, by state), USGS (annual, every January), and DTN Progressive Farmer (weekly) each answer a different question — spot price, supply structure, or short-term trend.
• ✔ SOP has no official US price series: get a direct quote rather than relying on a published national number that doesn’t exist.
• ✔ Run the numbers for your own field: the calculator above converts any quoted price and K₂O rate into a real per-acre and total-field cost.
• ✔ Supply risk is concentrated: with under 7% of US potash demand covered domestically, satellite-based exploration tools shorten the path to new supply that could eventually ease that dependence.
• ✔ Soil testing beats price-timing: matching application rate to an actual soil test result saves more money than trying to buy at the exact bottom of a price cycle.

Explore More with Farmonaut

• 📊 Want to map new potash resources fast? — Map Your Mining Site Here
• 📍 Get a detailed satellite-based report: — Satellite-based mineral detection information
• 📝 Looking for a quote or consultation? — Get Quote
• 💬 Questions about advanced geospatial analysis? — Contact Us

Potash pricing isn’t a mystery once you know where each number comes from — and knowing where to look again next month is worth more than any single price quoted today.