The significant lack of fertiliser bought so far this year has raised logistical concerns within industry circles.

It is estimated that by the end of this month just 100,000t of fertiliser will have been sold.

This, industry sources explained, must reach 600,000t by the end of March to keep the supply chain moving.

It is understood that uncertainty among farmers on what they are allowed to spread is what’s causing purchasing delays.

According to Department of Agriculture figures, fertiliser sales were down 83% for quarter one of this current trading season (1 October to 31 December 2023).

Just over 14,000t of fertiliser had been sold during this period compared to 84,000t during the same period in 2022.

While fertiliser sales during the back end of 2022 were high due to farmers being advised to forward purchase in case of further price rises, this year’s figures are still well behind other years.

Sales of fertiliser during this period in 2021 and 2020 were both 75% higher than quarter one of this trading season.

“At the moment there’s huge concern around the availability of trucks and drivers to carry out this mountain of work for the month of March,” an industry source told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The IFA has advised farmers to shop around for the best deals on farm inputs. The IFA farm business chair Bill O’Keeffe maintains that there is room for price savings to be passed back to farmers, given that pressure eased on input costs since the highs of 2022.

Prices

Prices remain unchanged across the board with urea still costing on average €480/t and an extra €50/t for protected urea while CAN is ranging from €370 to €390. Compounds such as 18-6-12, 27-2.5-5, and 24-2.5-10 are costing between €490/t and €500/t.