Global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus has launched a new weekly fertilizer service, Argus FMB North American Fertilizer, focusing on the dynamic and evolving North American fertilizer markets. Through this service, Argus offers the most extensive fertilizer market price data of any publisher. 

Argus FMB North American Fertilizer's expansive coverage includes 56 assessments for fertilizer commodities, including ammonia, nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfur and sulfuric acid. The service is the first to offer freight assessments for northbound spot freight from New Orleans to 17 points along the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Arkansas and Ohio rivers. 

The new service is a welcome addition to the industry and arrives at a crucial moment. A record drought in the US has cut expected crop yields by close to 15pc, catalyzing the ongoing "food vs fuel" debate. Congressional progress on the 2012 Farm Bill has been stymied. This bill is supposed to provide crop insurance, drought relief and includes energy mandates related to the agricultural sector so the delays come at an inopportune moment. The growing political debate over the use of crops will have a significant impact on the North American fertilizer industry and could affect planned capacity additions. 

By capitalizing on the wider global Argus portfolio, Argus FMB North American Fertilizer brings readers unparalleled context to market movements. The report incorporates relevant related market data including analysis of natural gas, ethanol and biofuels as well as crops. 

"Argus FMB North American Fertilizer offers an authoritative source of benchmark-quality price assessments for North America," Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said. "The new service brings transparency to the highly seasonal, sometimes highly illiquid and often complex fertilizer markets." 

Argus already publishes assessments for the international fertilizer markets in Argus FMB Ammonia, Argus FMB Nitrogen, Argus FMB Potash, Argus FMB Phosphates and Argus FMB Sulphur. The North American fertilizer report will draw on this expertise by highlighting key international events of significance to North America.

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