Farmers in Europe pay out more for fertiliser than farmers in other regions around the world and are at a "competitive disadvantage" on price, according to one of the biggest farm organisations in Europe, Copa-Cogeca.

The organisation has written to the directorate-general for agriculture and rural development, calling for an end to duties and taxes on fertiliser.

It points out that mineral fertilisers account for 30% variable costs across all sectors, which increases to 40% for cereals.

A number of farmers in Ireland were disheartened earlier this year when fertiliser prices increased and complained about the variability in prices.

Copa-Cogeca has requested an end to import duties on nitrogen fertilisers, ammonium nitrate and urea. It would also like to see anti-dumping measures on ammonium nitrate from Russia removed.

Fertilisers Europe

However, a lobby group called Fertilisers Europe has claimed that the farm organisation has failed to recognise the distortion of gas prices from countries where fertiliser is exported.

Gas is a key ingredient in the processing of fertiliser and the lobby group says that the anti-dumping duty levied on ammonium nitrate from Russia was based on the country’s “non- market economy fixed and flat gas supply costs”.

It also claims that up to 50% of EU nitrogen imports were already tariff-free, and that only Russia, the Arabian Gulf and America paid full duties.

A number of interested stakeholders, including delegates from Ireland, are due to meet in April to deliberate the issue.

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