The wet weather put the brakes on fertiliser spreading this week. Merchants report farmers are getting fertiliser delivered to farm to have it ready.

There will be a rush to get fertiliser when conditions dry out and it will also make it harder to do deals.

Bulk urea delivered in full loads is as low as €308/t in north Leinster.

Big bags of granular urea are as low as €338/t in north Leinster and €345 to €355 in the rest of the country.

There is huge variation, with farmers in Connacht quoted as high as €425/t, presumably for smaller loads on credit.

The price of CAN has slipped to as low as €258/t in north Leinster.

The best prices in Connacht are €275/t, but again there is huge variation, with up to €325/t charged in some cases.

SulphaCAN has been priced at €280 to €300/t for smaller amounts, but one farmer who contacted me said he had done a deal at €255/t for large volume and 10:10:20 at €387/t.

Another farmer got 18:4:10+S for €365/t delivered in the southeast.

The price for 27:2.5:5 ranges from €370/t to €430/t, while 24:2.5:5 goes from €376/t to as high as €450/t in some areas.

Urea-based 27:2.5:5 is coming in at €350/t to €360/t and 24:2.5:5 is €360/t to €370/t. 10:10:20 is selling for €395/t to €460/t and 18:6:12 is making €386/t to €445/t

Straight potash starts at €380/t, but some deals have been done at €365/t.

One farmer who contacted me got 0:7:30 spread at three bags/acre for €397/t.

Make sure you shop around and agree not just a price, but payment terms. Most merchants are giving one to four months’ credit for payment. If no price is negotiated, the fertiliser goes on account at a high price and the interest charges start.

Have you got a better deal on fertiliser this spring? Let me know by sending a text to 087-236 2293.

Fuel prices up

Fuel prices lifted by 1c/l this week. Green diesel is trading at 48c to 49c/l, with kerosene trading at 46c to 47c/l in some areas.

Car diesel can still be bought around €1/l for larger volumes.

Straw, hay and silage prices

The trade for straw has increased again this week, with more straw moving west. Prices for round bales have lifted, with most farmers now looking for €10 to €12/bale out of the shed. Many farmers in the west are paying €16 to €20/bale, depending on destination. 8x4x3 bales can still be bought for €20 to €22/bale out of the shed. The trade remains very slow for hay, with 4x4 bales sold for €20 each and horse hay up to €25. A small number of round bales of silage have started to move at €16 to €18 each. The fodder beet pulled last week is in good demand, trading from €30 to €40/t out of the yard.