Fertiliser manufacturer Yara has stated that any of its fertiliser tested by the Department of Agriculture’s quality and labelling checks during 2023 met the required standards.

Yara is the first fertiliser supplier to comment on the results of the quality inspections for 2023, with the Department stating that 11% of 192 fertiliser samples did not meet tolerance limits under law.

These inspections are undertaken by the Department to ensure that the fertiliser labelling and nutrient content standards laid down in Irish and EU law are met by the industry.

“In the timeframe specified in your article, we are proud to say that 100% of Yara products tested by the Department of Agriculture passed the analysis specification,” vice-president of Yara UK and Ireland Jari Pentinmaki told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“This result underscores our unwavering commitment to quality and reliability in every product we deliver,” he said.

The Irish Farmers Journal contacted Grassland Agro, Gouldings and Target Fertiliser for a comment on their performance in 2023’s inspections.

Grassland Agro and Target declined to comment, while Gouldings had no comment at the time of print.

Compliance notices

The Department has said that there are a “number of measures available under legislation” that it can use in response to breaches of fertiliser tolerance regulations.

“In this regard, compliance notices are issued in cases of out-of-tolerance findings and the Department also engages directly with the company to understand the underlying reason for the non-compliance in order to support future compliance,” an official spokesperson for the Department explained.

“In the event of a fertiliser user being of the opinion that purchased fertiliser is not as described, they should return it to his merchant/supplier who will follow up with the manufacturer,” the spokesperson advised.