--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260906-sulfur-prices-1000-phosphate-fertilizer-farmdoc-2026/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Sulfur tops $1,000/t as Hormuz and Russia cuts reshape phosphate fertilizer economics Publication Date: 2026-09-06T15:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-09-05T01:33:41-04:00 Author: Kim Clarksen (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/kimclarksen/) Categories: [Markets](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/), [Freight & Logistics](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/logistics/), [Phosphate](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/phosphate/), [Production & Supply](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/production/) ![Financial data displays price trends and movements on a trading screen during market hours](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/financial-data-displays-price-trends-and-movements-on-a-trading-screen-during-market-hours-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) Sulfur above $1,000/t drives DAP costs higher as Hormuz and Russia supply cuts remove two-thirds of globally traded sulfur. Sulfur prices have topped $1,000 per metric ton in global spot markets, fundamentally reshaping the economics of phosphate fertilizer production, according to a new analysis by University of Illinois agricultural economists at Farmdoc Daily. The report traces the price surge directly to two supply shocks: the ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruption that has blocked sulfur exports from Middle Eastern oil refineries, and Russia's ban on sulfur exports that removed the world's second-largest source of traded supply. Combined, those two disruptions have eliminated access to roughly two-thirds of globally traded sulfur. Because sulfuric acid is the primary reagent used to convert phosphate rock into plant-available phosphoric acid, DAP, and MAP, the cost surge feeds directly into phosphate fertilizer prices. Farmdoc calculates that sulfur alone now accounts for a substantially higher share of DAP production costs than before the crisis, with the raw material cost increase explaining much of the gap between current DAP prices above $820 per metric ton and the $500–$600 range that prevailed in early 2025. The analysis warns that 2027 U.S. farm budgets should anticipate phosphate fertilizer costs at or above current levels. With [no near-term resolution to the sulfur supply shortage](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260818-sulfur-shortage-phosphate-supply-afi-hormuz-warning/) in sight, the report says growers face a prolonged period of input cost pressure that may force further reductions in phosphate application rates, particularly for lower-margin crops. Variable-rate application and soil-test-based nutrient management are cited as partial offsets, but do not eliminate the underlying cost problem. Source: [Farmdoc Daily](https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2026/08/sulfur-and-increasing-phosphate-fertilizer-prices.html) Tags: [DAP](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/dap/), [fertilizer prices](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/fertilizer-prices/), [phosphate](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/phosphate/), [phosphoric acid](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/phosphoric-acid/), [Russia](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/russia/), [Strait of Hormuz](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/strait-of-hormuz/), [sulfur](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/sulfur/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/united-states/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.