Some 78% of farmers have said that they plan on applying less fertiliser this year compared to last year, an Irish Farmers Journal survey has found.

Just 2% said they plan on spreading more fertiliser this year, while 20% said that they would spread the same amount compared to last year.

Of the 78% who plan to reduce, one-fifth of farmers said they will cut back on use by 11% to 20% and 15% of farmers said they will cut back by 10%.

Some 40% of tillage farmers say they plan to spread more or the same amount of fertiliser as last year.

On the other hand, just 22% and 19% of sheep and beef farmers, respectively, said they plan on spreading more or the same amount of fertiliser as last year.

Notably, 13% of sheep farmers said they will be cutting back usage by more than 61%, which was the highest compared to any other sector.

Some 77% of dairy farmers plan to cut back on usage with the majority of farmers (57%) cutting back by more than 20% on last year.

On a provincial basis, almost 30% of farmers in Connacht and 28% of Ulster farmers said they will cut back on fertiliser use by 41% or more. In Leinster and Munster, this figure dropped to 21% and 17%, respectively.