Ample supply of agricultural inputs; group buying in main producing areas can lower prices
In the provinces and regions surveyed, the market supply of all kinds of agricultural input products is ample, and prices are generally slightly lower than the previous year. On the one hand, due to overcapacity in the agricultural input production industry, falling raw material prices, and international market supply exceeding demand, domestic agricultural input prices have been suppressed. On the other hand, in recent years large-scale growers and cooperatives and other new types of agricultural business entities have directly connected with agricultural input suppliers to purchase agricultural inputs, reducing circulation links and lowering the procurement cost of agricultural inputs.
Fertilizer prices slightly lower than the previous year; new-type fertilizers favored by farmers
In Jilin Province, the average market prices of domestic urea, potassium chloride, compound fertilizer, and diammonium phosphate fell by 9.12%, 8.85%, 2.66%, and 6.22% respectively compared with the same period of the previous year; in Heilongjiang Province, the price of urea was 2020 yuan/ton and diamine was 3400 yuan/ton, basically flat with the previous year; in Jiangsu Province, the average market price of urea was 1860 yuan/ton, down 2.6% from the same period of the previous year; in Shandong Province, the average prices of urea and compound fertilizer were 1854.45 yuan/ton and 2928.82 yuan/ton respectively, down 5.88% and 3.82%; in Henan Province, the average market price of urea was 1765.77 yuan/ton, down 2.58%. In Gangnan District, Guigang City, Guangxi, fertilizer prices fell by about 5%-8% compared with the same period of the previous year, a decline of 200 yuan per ton; in Xinji City, Hebei, the price of urea was 1700 yuan/ton, basically flat with the same period of the previous year, and compound fertilizer was 2600 yuan/ton, down 3.7% from the same period of the previous year.
In addition, research in Jilin Province shows that various new-type fertilizers such as organic fertilizers, biological fertilizers, and special-purpose fertilizers are highly favored by farmers. Mobile-phone soil testing and formulated fertilization technology has been promoted on a large scale in Jilin Province, and "farmers standing in their own fields know what fertilizer this plot lacks and how to mix the ratio." This guides farmers to fertilize scientifically, avoiding waste and preventing soil compaction caused by excessive fertilization.
Seed prices vary greatly among varieties; independently developed varieties are popular
Because the seed varieties used in different regions differ greatly, their market prices rise and fall. In Heilongjiang, the prices of corn, rice, and soybean seeds were 21.25 yuan/kg, 5.65 yuan/kg, and 5.35 yuan/kg respectively, slightly down compared with the same period of the previous year. In Liaoning Province, the average prices of corn and rice seeds were 18.5 yuan/kg and 10.80 yuan/kg respectively, up 0.5 yuan/kg and 0.37 yuan/kg respectively from the same period of the previous year. In Xinji City, Hebei, the price of cotton seed was 20-30 yuan/kg and corn seed was 16-22 yuan/kg, basically flat with the same period of the previous year, but prices varied greatly among varieties. In Nongan City and Gongzhuling City of Jilin, seed prices were basically stable, and domestically independently developed varieties sold well and were relatively popular among farmers. Because the corn seed "Limin 33" showed extremely strong lodging resistance and upward-facing leaves with resistance to armyworm during the "Bolaven" wind disaster in 2012, its sales were relatively good, with a price of 140-150 yuan per bag (10000 seeds); the price of "Liangyu 99" was 100-110 yuan per bag (5200 seeds); the price of "Yuanyu 3" was 110-120 yuan per bag (10000 seeds); the price of "Xianyu 335" was 80-85 yuan per bag (8000 seeds).
Prices of agricultural diesel and agricultural film fell to varying degrees
Affected by the decline in international oil prices, oil prices in various places were flat or down. In Heilongjiang, agricultural diesel was 6.56 yuan/kg and gasoline was 6.05 yuan/kg, basically flat with the previous year; in Jilin, the price of agricultural diesel fell 19.61% from the same period of the previous year; in Shandong, the average price of agricultural diesel was 6.05 yuan/liter, down 17.46%; in Jiangsu, the average price of agricultural diesel was 5.52 yuan/liter, down 23.0%. In Jilin Province, the average prices of plastic film and greenhouse film fell 3.23% and 3.46% from the same period of the previous year; in Shandong, the average price of plastic film was 12686.4 yuan/ton, slightly down 0.12%; in Jiangsu, the price of greenhouse film was 13694 yuan/ton, down 1.9%, and the price of plastic film was 13744 yuan/ton, up 0.8%; in Xinji City, Hebei, agricultural film was about 12000 yuan/ton, down 4%.