The abolition of the EU’s anti-dumping duty on Russian ammonium nitrate could cut the price of CAN and high nitrogen compounds in Ireland by over €30/t. The review of the anti-dumping duty of up to €47/t on ammonium nitrate will take up to 18 months to complete.

Although ammonium nitrate is not used as a straight in Ireland, it is a constituent of CAN and used in compounds, so it is influential in their prices.

“If it [the duty] was abolished and the savings were fully passed back to farmers, then the savings could be over €30/t on these fertilisers,” said John Coughlan, chair of IFA’s inputs project team.

IFA is also seeking the abolition of other general tariffs on imports of non-EU fertiliser. That would save Irish farmers an estimated €32m per annum and EU farmers €1bn.