Fertilizer sales in Ireland for the 12-month period from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014 were back by 5.7%, according to the latest figures from the Department of Agriculture.

In total, just over 1.4m tonnes of fertilizer were sold in the year, around 84,000t less than the previous year.

Up until 2012, fertilizer sales in Ireland had been decreasing year on year, hitting a low of 1.2m tonnes in sales.

However, in 2013 a number of factors contributed to re-energise the market as sales increased by over 20% to reach close to 1.5m tonnes.

The consistent bad weather which led to the fodder crisis saw fertilizer sales jump to their highest level in the last number of years.

Last year, sales of P and K jumped by 25% and 24%, respectively, as farmers, more aware of their low soil index levels, invested in improving fertility.

Another reason for this increase in P and K application was that these nutrients were relatively good value last year.

The relaxation of phosphorous regulations also contributed to sales.

It was expected that fertilizer sales would return to lower levels in 2014. However, this has not been the case.

Relatively strong sales were seen up to April, driven mainly by dairy farmers as they continue to invest in soil fertility on the back of strong milk prices in 2013.

Applying P and K is often a discretionary spend for farmers and also an investment in their land in times of good prices.

Despite the record grass growth we enjoyed during the summer, fertilizer sales remained relatively steady later in the year.

The majority of sales were made in the early part of the year before the strong grass growth properly took off.