Fertiliser sale and supply issues persist
FARMERS across the western region are continuing to face difficulty in sourcing fertilisers mainly due to sourcing and supply issues.
Nitrogen fertiliser such as urea and compounds like 10.10.20 have intermittently not been available from some merchants and co-ops over recent weeks with ships not arriving on schedule.
Fertiliser prices have also hardened over recent week with urea selling for €500 a tonne, and slightly over at some outlets, while 10.10.20 – where available – is now costing between €600 and €615 per tonne.
According to a report published earlier this year by RaboResearch – part of the Rabobank multinational agricultural banking group – it has been a ‘challenging year’ so far for the world fertiliser market.
They have predicted that ‘this unfavourable scenario for the fertiliser market is expected to persist’ for the rest of the year.
RaboResearch also state that while natural gas prices have fallen over the past six months or so, a combination of global factors – including the Donald Trump tariff measures – has ‘led to market instability and geopolitical challenges’.
“Over the past year or more, policy changes have led to scarcity, resulting in higher prices for US fertilisers compared to global markets, and this trend may continue in the future,” Bruno Fonseca, a Senior Inputs Analyst with RaboResearch stated.
The supply and price issues with fertilisers in Ireland has also been replicated across the UK with prices continuing to rise there through the first four months of 2025.
Oranmore dairy farmer Henry Walsh told the Farming Tribune that over the past four to six weeks, many farmers had experienced difficulties in sourcing the fertilisers that they required such as compounds and protected urea.
“While many of the crops were sown early due to the favourable weather conditions there was still a very strong demand for fertiliser over the past month and a half or so.
“We’ve all heard about merchants and co-ops waiting for boats to come in, but for whatever the reason, farmers have found it difficult to get the fertiliser they want, while prices have also remained on an upward trajectory,” said Henry Walsh.
He said that since January, prices on average, had risen by €30 to €50, which was an unwelcome increase in input costs for the spring season.
While the RaboResearch report predicts the likelihood of fertiliser prices remaining ‘strong’ for the remainder of this year, they also forecast that, long-term, prices could be expected to fall back.
Pictured: Oranmore dairy farmer Henry Walsh