Fertiliser prices vary by €40/t to €70/t in places, although they have begun to level off this week.

Demand is picking up again as hope of more promising weather sets in, although some farmers are still holding out to see how much further prices would fall.

Reports are that while prices have levelled for now, there might be another drop in May.

One general merchant told the Irish Farmers Journal that March accounts, usually, for one-quarter of total fertiliser sales. However, this year sales were down 70%.

“I would say to farmers to buy what they want now for this month. There is going to be a logistics problem I’d say trying to get stuff. You mightn’t get what you want because importers are tight on product but nobody will be without fertiliser,” he said.

“There’s still a good bit of old stock lingering around the country and people are taking a big hit on it,” he said.

One of the major importers of fertiliser said that stock of urea and CAN is getting tight.

“We’re not really buying stuff, compared to last year we are 450,000t behind. We don’t want to be left with stuff going into the summer either,” he said.

Urea is ranging in price from €650/t in the west to between €660/t and €720/t in the rest of the country.

CAN is still costing farmers €630/t in Leinster, €620/t in Munster while farmers in the midlands and the west have got CAN for as low as €590/t.

Compounds, however, have not dropped as much as straights, with prices for 18-6-12 as high as €780/t in parts of the country.

For 18-6-12 plus sulphur farmers can expect to pay another €10/t.

Cut sward is ranging from from €750/t to €790/t, while pasture sward is ranging from €740/t to €790/t.