Huge volumes of fertiliser are moving out of merchants’ yards as farmers get busy in drying fields. Significant gaps in fertiliser prices remain.

Credit terms are a factor in determining where farmers are sourcing their fertiliser.

Many farmers are looking for merchant credit, and are willing to pay more to their local merchant where suitable terms are available. In contrast with last year’s market, where merchants were unwilling and unable to carry credit when prices peaked, it seems short-term credit is freely available to farmers with a good track record of payment on request.

Compound fertiliser is being prioritised on drystock and tillage farms, in particular.

In terms of price, the keenest prices are to be found in the east, particularly the northeast, near the border with Northern Ireland where prices moved down earlier and further. The highest prices are in the west of Ireland, which is not unusual.

Prices are generally way back from the highs of January – 0-7-30 ranges from €840/t to €875, with 18-6-12 from €690 to €730/t.

In terms of straight nitrogen, CAN ranges from €560/t to €590/t.

Urea can be bought for 540/t to €640/t, with protected urea from €610/t to €685/t.

In terms of high nitrogen compounds, 27-2.5-5 is available from €720/t, with 24-2.5-10 about a tenner dearer than that.

That price doesn’t vary much across the country.

Warning

Farmers applying nitrogen for silage are reminded to adjust either the cutting date or the volume of nitrogen applied where fertiliser is being applied weeks later than normal. Otherwise, grass will have too much nitrogen to make high-quality silage.