Other Agricultural Chemicals PPI: A Procurement Review Checklist
Other Agricultural Chemicals, down about 5.1% from a year ago. WPU0653 measures other agricultural chemicals. This page previously mislabeled it as industrial gases. It contains no industrial-gas price observation and must not be used to price oxygen, argon, nitrogen, hydrogen or a welding-gas mixture.
The BLS Other Agricultural Chemicals Producer Price Index (WPU0653) reads 208.53 index (1982=100) for Aug 2026, down about 5.1% from a year ago. The reference period identifies the observation; a later website refresh does not turn it into a daily price. This is a producer price index, not a delivered quote in dollars per unit.
WPU0653 measures other agricultural chemicals. This page previously mislabeled it as industrial gases. It contains no industrial-gas price observation and must not be used to price oxygen, argon, nitrogen, hydrogen or a welding-gas mixture.
Use a review trigger, not a trading signal
This agricultural chemical price series is not a manufacturing activity gauge, a welding-cost benchmark or a measure of industrial-gas demand. Its direction cannot support any of those conclusions.
A monthly price index cannot identify the cheapest day to buy. Start with the date material is required, available inventory, lead time and the cost of a stockout. Compare current quotes on equivalent delivery and payment terms. An apparent price saving that requires additional storage or financing may not reduce the total purchase cost.
Before approving the purchase
For a relevant agricultural chemical purchase, compare the specified formulation, concentration, packaging, handling and contract terms. For welding gas, use an actual gas supplier quote and measured consumption, including cylinder rental or bulk delivery charges where applicable.
Check the observation month and the exact agency series used in any escalation clause.
Compare the quote with your previous comparable invoice, including freight and surcharges.
Document the reason for changing order timing and the operational risk of waiting.
Source and update notes
The source is BLS series WPU0653, also published by FRED at https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU0653. The linked data page provides the current observation and available history. A successful refresh changes readings only when the source returns changed data. Missing or failed observations must retain their original periods and be reported as unavailable or delayed.