Photo by Deb Gau Fertilizer supplies could be seen at the Ag Plus Cooperative plant in Ghent this month. While area cooperatives said there should be enough fertilizer to get farmers through spring planting this year, prices are still high and there are uncertainties looking ahead to 2023.

MARSHALL — Farmers in southwest Minnesota should have the fertilizer needed for this spring’s planting, although prices remain high, area cooperatives said.

However, there are still uncertainties as to what the future will bring.

“The unknown is 2023,” said Mike Trosen, general manager at Meadowland Farmers Coop.

In addition to fertilizer, factors ranging from fuel costs to supply chain issues and how well this year’s corn and bean crops do will all have an impact on farmers.

Fertilizer prices were elevated last summer, and are still high compared to last year, said Justin Ranek, agronomy sales manager at Ag Plus Cooperative.

“Nitrogen is three times what it was last year. Phosphate is double what it was last year, and potash is double, almost triple from what it was a year ago,” Ranek said.

Trosen said fertilizer prices and other input costs tend to go along with grain prices. Last year, “Grain markets shot up quite a bit,” he said.

The relationship between agriculture input costs and grain prices will be important for farmers going forward. There are a number of input costs farmers work with every year, including the cost of seed, fertilizer and fuel. If those costs increase and grain prices do not, it squeezes farmers’ margins, Ranek said.

Trosen said the cost of fuel is one factor that could potentially be a concern for farmers.

“Fuel prices have gone up exponentially,” he said.

It’s also not certain what kid of effect Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have on agriculture in the rest of the world.

Ukraine is an exporter of wheat and corn.

Ranek said Russia is a major exporter of potash, so that could also affect fertilizer supplies. But he said the good news for southwest Minnesota is that Canada is also a major exporter of potash.

“And it’s not far away,” he said.

However, it doesn’t look like fertilizer shortages will be a problem this spring. Trosen said fertilizer supplies for spring planting were booked last fall.

Ranek said there are enough fertilizer supplies for 2022’s crops.

However, it’s still not certain what supplies and prices will look like in 2023.