The Department of Agriculture’s 2024 annual report states that around 2% of all fertiliser samples tested against quality and labelling standards were found to be out of tolerance with the values allowable in law.

This figure was down on the 2023 finding that 3.3% of samples were found to be out of tolerance. The previous year the result was 3.2% out of tolerance.

Last year, the Department told the Irish Farmers Journal that it overstated the rate of out of tolerance results for 2023, correcting the figure to 4.6% instead of 11%. It appears that this figure has since been revised downwards to 3.3%.

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Last year’s fertiliser and lime quality inspections tested 190 fertiliser samples and 91 lime samples from manufacturers’ premises to assess standards such as nutrient content.

The Department’s report says that of the 456 individual fertiliser analyses circa 2% were out of tolerance.

“All out of tolerance results were investigated by this Department, and appropriate actions were taken by the companies involved,” the report states.

“The control programme did not find any non-compliances with urea products in 2024.”

The Department reported that total fertiliser sales were increased by 8.3% in 2024 on the previous year.

While sales of protected urea were up by almost 40% and traditional urea volumes came back just under 10%, CAN sales also rebounded by one-sixth.

The Department also carried out checks on shipments of animals, plants and foods into the State last year. Some 271 consignments were rejected for not meeting regulatory standards.

The report states that the Department stumped up just over €20,000 in “total interest plus penalties” on not making timely payment for invoices received from the suppliers of goods or services to the Department within 15 days, as is a legal requirement.