Farmers across the south and east who have been badly impacted by the drought are generally heeding the advice from Teagasc and merchants and keeping fertiliser in the bag and in the yard.

However, the upshot is that fertiliser sales in drought-affected areas have virtually stalled.

While product is moving in the west and northwest where there has been plenty of rain over the last fortnight or three weeks, it has been a different story in the south and east.

“If I left fertiliser out on the side of the road no one would take it; it’s brutal,” one dejected east Munster merchant commented.