We have had a lot of feedback on last week’s fertiliser articles comparing 2021 and 2022 data on the tonnages and prices paid according to CSO data.
Some in the supply chain dispute the CSO data and some query the relatively short-term comparisons for a service sector that has to be sustainable over more than two years. Concerns about the accuracy of the CSO data need to be taken up with the CSO.
Those who have spoken to us from the supply chain make the point they have bad, average and good years, and that’s why private businesses exist in this commodity import space rather than any State-run entities.
Last week we called out that these companies must be rewarded for the risk they take importing product in exceptional times. They are in business to make a profit the same way that farmers and other businesses are. However, we must also recognise that a lot of the same risk occurs at farm level, and often it is the farmer as a price taker that is taking the ultimate risk when ordering and committing fertiliser from a merchant, with no guarantee that the market will adequately reward them.
Farmers need to keep the spend and margin commentary in context. If a farmer needs feed for a certain number of animals on a holding, he or she must grow it on farm or import it into the farm. By far the best farmer margin will be achieved by growing on farm and protected urea is the best and most competitive product per unit of nitrogen at the moment. The advice still stands – buy fertiliser as you need this spring rather than have too much sitting in a yard.
We recognise that without the supply chain farmers are in an even more vulnerable position, but at the same time we have an obligation to inform farmers with what we believe as the most accurate available data.
New pesticide rule submissions
The extended submission deadline on the sustainable use of pesticides is this Friday 24 February.
Pesticides are used professionally, carefully and selectively on most livestock, horticulture, forestry and tillage farms at some stage or another.
The perception that this regulation on pesticides affects tillage farmers only is wrong. Remember, 50% of all glyphosate is used on grass, the crop that predominates across the country.
Email your submissions to surconsultation@agriculture.gov.ie
We have had a lot of feedback on last week’s fertiliser articles comparing 2021 and 2022 data on the tonnages and prices paid according to CSO data.
Some in the supply chain dispute the CSO data and some query the relatively short-term comparisons for a service sector that has to be sustainable over more than two years. Concerns about the accuracy of the CSO data need to be taken up with the CSO.
Those who have spoken to us from the supply chain make the point they have bad, average and good years, and that’s why private businesses exist in this commodity import space rather than any State-run entities.
Last week we called out that these companies must be rewarded for the risk they take importing product in exceptional times. They are in business to make a profit the same way that farmers and other businesses are. However, we must also recognise that a lot of the same risk occurs at farm level, and often it is the farmer as a price taker that is taking the ultimate risk when ordering and committing fertiliser from a merchant, with no guarantee that the market will adequately reward them.
Farmers need to keep the spend and margin commentary in context. If a farmer needs feed for a certain number of animals on a holding, he or she must grow it on farm or import it into the farm. By far the best farmer margin will be achieved by growing on farm and protected urea is the best and most competitive product per unit of nitrogen at the moment. The advice still stands – buy fertiliser as you need this spring rather than have too much sitting in a yard.
We recognise that without the supply chain farmers are in an even more vulnerable position, but at the same time we have an obligation to inform farmers with what we believe as the most accurate available data.
New pesticide rule submissions
The extended submission deadline on the sustainable use of pesticides is this Friday 24 February.
Pesticides are used professionally, carefully and selectively on most livestock, horticulture, forestry and tillage farms at some stage or another.
The perception that this regulation on pesticides affects tillage farmers only is wrong. Remember, 50% of all glyphosate is used on grass, the crop that predominates across the country.
Email your submissions to surconsultation@agriculture.gov.ie
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