NPK fertilizer price
15-15-15, 16-16-16 and other grades: raw-material value in USD per tonne
No single market price exists for NPK. Each grade is made from nitrogen, phosphate and potash raw materials, and its price follows theirs. The first table gives the latest level the desk has read for each raw material, with its basis and date. The second works out what the raw materials in a tonne of each common grade cost at those levels.
The raw-material value is arithmetic, not an offer. A producer's price adds granulation, bagging, freight and margin on top, and a quoted price depends on the grade, the potash source, the packing and the quantity.
Raw-material prices, November 2026
| Product | USD per tonne | Basis | Applies to | Change | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urea, prilled | 420 | FOB Middle East, prill spot (World Bank Pink Sheet) | Oct 2026 | +12.5 from Sep | |
| DAP (diammonium phosphate) | 800.6 | Spot, FOB US Gulf (World Bank Pink Sheet) | Sep 2026 | +7.1 from Aug | |
| TSP (triple superphosphate) | 690 | Spot (World Bank Pink Sheet) | Sep 2026 | −14.4 from Aug | |
| MOP (muriate of potash) | 367.5 | Spot (World Bank Pink Sheet) | Sep 2026 | −19.4 from Aug |
Raw-material value by grade
| Grade (N-P2O5-K2O) | Raw materials, USD per tonne | DAP, kg | Urea, kg | Potash (MOP), kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPK 15-15-15 | 436 | 326 | 198 | 250 |
| NPK 16-16-16 | 465 | 348 | 212 | 267 |
| NPK 20-10-10 | 382 | 217 | 350 | 167 |
| NPK 12-24-12 | 515 | 522 | 57 | 200 |
Worked from DAP (diammonium phosphate) at 800.6 (Sep 2026), Urea, prilled at 420 (Oct 2026), MOP (muriate of potash) at 367.5 (Sep 2026). Kilograms are per tonne of finished grade; the balance is filler. Granulation, bagging, freight and margin are not included, and the inputs can apply to different months.
Levels are published market references read on the dates shown, not CBIL offers. A line is removed 45 days after it was read.
Reading an NPK grade
The three numbers are percentages by weight of nitrogen (N), phosphate (as P2O5) and potash (as K2O). A tonne of 15-15-15 therefore holds 150 kg of each. A grade with more nutrient per tonne costs more per tonne but often less per kilogram of nutrient delivered to the field, because freight and bagging are paid on fewer tonnes.
How the raw-material value is worked
The phosphate is taken from DAP, which is 46% P2O5 and brings 18% nitrogen with it. The remaining nitrogen is taken from urea at 46% N, and the potash from muriate of potash at 60% K2O. The cost of those quantities at the levels in the first table is the raw-material value; the balance of the tonne is filler.
Producers use other routes too: ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate for nitrogen, phosphoric acid or MAP for phosphate. The urea, DAP and potash route is used here because all three have widely published prices, which makes the result checkable.
Why two offers for the same grade differ
Compound or blend: in a compound NPK every granule carries all three nutrients; a bulk blend is a physical mix of separate granules, cheaper to make and liable to segregate in handling.
Potash source: grades made with sulphate of potash instead of muriate are chloride-free, used on tobacco, potatoes, fruit and vegetables, and cost markedly more.
Extras and packing: sulphur, magnesium and trace elements, water solubility, and 25 kg or 50 kg bags against jumbo bags or bulk all move the price.
Questions buyers ask
- What is the price of NPK 15-15-15 per tonne?
- There is no single posted price. The second table on this page gives the raw-material value of a tonne of 15-15-15 at this month's urea, DAP and potash prices. A producer's FOB price is that value plus granulation, bagging and margin, and the delivered price adds freight.
- Why is NPK 16-16-16 dearer than 15-15-15?
- It holds 480 kg of nutrients per tonne against 450 kg, so more DAP, urea and potash go into each tonne. Per kilogram of nutrient the two cost about the same.
- Which raw material moves the NPK price most?
- Phosphate. DAP is the dearest of the three per tonne and supplies part of the nitrogen as well, so in a balanced grade it is the largest share of the raw-material cost. A grade high in nitrogen, such as 20-10-10, follows urea more closely.
- Is a bulk blend the same as a compound NPK?
- No. Both can carry the same grade on the bag, but a compound has all three nutrients in every granule and spreads evenly, while a blend is a mix of separate granules that can separate in transport and spreading. A blend is usually cheaper.
- How often are these prices updated?
- The desk checks its price sheet every Monday. Each raw-material line shows the date it was read, and the grade values are recalculated from the lines shown whenever the page is rebuilt.