There is a huge amount of talk about fertiliser at present. There are reports of supply concerns, reduced production and high prices.
Last week, the National Fodder and Food Security Committee met to assess the current fertiliser situation in the country and the advice that followed from this meeting was that farmers should try to purchase 20-30% of their fertiliser needs for next spring.
This would help to give confidence to fertiliser importers to order product and get product into the country.
Ireland uses about 1.7m tonnes of fertiliser each year. In 2021, approximately 935,000t of fertiliser had been brought into the country by the end of March and this figure was approximately 805,000t in 2022.
As demand is currently low from farmers and retailers, some importers are slow to order as much product as usual. If fertiliser is not ordered in time there may be availability issues in the spring time.
No doubt, many farmers are concerned about fertiliser, how they will pay for it and if they will have a supply next spring, but farmers should not feel pressured to purchase stock.
The reality is many farmers will not have the cashflow to purchase stock at present.
Risk management
From a risk management point-of-view, it may make sense to try and purchase some fertiliser if you can. No one knows where prices will be next spring. They could be up or down, so having a small bit of fertiliser in the yard might be a sensible risk management strategy.
If fertiliser prices go up, you have a bit bought at a lower price and if prices go down, you have some fertiliser in the yard and can start the season without a wait for product.
It is all relative how much you purchase; whether that is a 500kg bag, five 50kg bags, a pallet or a 28t load will depend on your farm size and financial situation.
Some farmers have fertiliser purchased in significant quantities. For example, fertiliser needed for silage or for winter cereals. Some of these farmers do this every year, as it suits their system and cash flow.
Farmers should have their sums done on how much money they can and need to spend on fertiliser. Tillage farmers should be looking at selling grain forward as well to further reduce risk. Grain prices could fall while you have purchased fertiliser at high prices.
Advice from the National Fodder and Food Security Committee
There is a risk to fertiliser supply.Farmers should consider trying to secure 20-30% of their total annual fertiliser requirement for 2023 over the coming weeks, taking account of cash flow and risk factors specific to the farm business.Farmers should focus on sourcing their phosphorus fertiliser requirements for spring 2023 as soon as possible.What can you do on-farm to deal with high fertiliser prices?
Aside from purchasing fertiliser, there is plenty that can be done to reduce fertiliser use on-farm and improve fertiliser use efficiency.
Soil sample if you don’t have an up-to-date set of soil samples.Soil samples should be taken every three to four years. You may find that phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) levels have improved and as a result fertiliser use can be cut.
A nutrient management plan should be produced on-farm.If soil pH is low then lime may need to be applied. Lime is a low-cost investment that can deliver a big return as it can make P and K more available from soils.
Having an up-to-date set of soil test results will allow slurry and farmyard manure to be targeted where they are needed most.
Current soil sample results also help to target crops like clover or legumes to fields with high soil pH levels and optimum P and K levels.
Test slurry
Testing slurry allows farmers to target it where it is needed most.
Slurry from finishing cattle can be targeted to low P soils.
Crop choice
Beans on tillage farms will not need artificial nitrogen applied. There will also be a minimum payment of €350/ha for the crop under the protein aid scheme.
There are payments available to convert grassland to tillage. Maize, beet or whole-crop could be an option on-farm to add to fodder supplies next winter. Maybe red clover could be grown on the farm?
The crop would only need nitrogen at establishment or in early spring and red clover can help to reduce the concentrate bill as well as the fertiliser bill.
White clover could be over-sown into swards where appropriate and this could help to reduce nitrogen use on grassland.
There are payments available for red clover and multi-species sward seed, and these may be an option on-farm to reduce nitrogen use.
To manage risk on-farm, purchase fertiliser, even a very small amount if possible.Soil test your farm to produce a nutrient management plan and improve fertiliser use efficiency.Test slurry and target it to where it is needed.Consider crops which can reduce artificial fertiliser use.Payment is available to grow or plant some crops which can reduce fertiliser use.
There is a huge amount of talk about fertiliser at present. There are reports of supply concerns, reduced production and high prices.
Last week, the National Fodder and Food Security Committee met to assess the current fertiliser situation in the country and the advice that followed from this meeting was that farmers should try to purchase 20-30% of their fertiliser needs for next spring.
This would help to give confidence to fertiliser importers to order product and get product into the country.
Ireland uses about 1.7m tonnes of fertiliser each year. In 2021, approximately 935,000t of fertiliser had been brought into the country by the end of March and this figure was approximately 805,000t in 2022.
As demand is currently low from farmers and retailers, some importers are slow to order as much product as usual. If fertiliser is not ordered in time there may be availability issues in the spring time.
No doubt, many farmers are concerned about fertiliser, how they will pay for it and if they will have a supply next spring, but farmers should not feel pressured to purchase stock.
The reality is many farmers will not have the cashflow to purchase stock at present.
Risk management
From a risk management point-of-view, it may make sense to try and purchase some fertiliser if you can. No one knows where prices will be next spring. They could be up or down, so having a small bit of fertiliser in the yard might be a sensible risk management strategy.
If fertiliser prices go up, you have a bit bought at a lower price and if prices go down, you have some fertiliser in the yard and can start the season without a wait for product.
It is all relative how much you purchase; whether that is a 500kg bag, five 50kg bags, a pallet or a 28t load will depend on your farm size and financial situation.
Some farmers have fertiliser purchased in significant quantities. For example, fertiliser needed for silage or for winter cereals. Some of these farmers do this every year, as it suits their system and cash flow.
Farmers should have their sums done on how much money they can and need to spend on fertiliser. Tillage farmers should be looking at selling grain forward as well to further reduce risk. Grain prices could fall while you have purchased fertiliser at high prices.
Advice from the National Fodder and Food Security Committee
There is a risk to fertiliser supply.Farmers should consider trying to secure 20-30% of their total annual fertiliser requirement for 2023 over the coming weeks, taking account of cash flow and risk factors specific to the farm business.Farmers should focus on sourcing their phosphorus fertiliser requirements for spring 2023 as soon as possible.What can you do on-farm to deal with high fertiliser prices?
Aside from purchasing fertiliser, there is plenty that can be done to reduce fertiliser use on-farm and improve fertiliser use efficiency.
Soil sample if you don’t have an up-to-date set of soil samples.Soil samples should be taken every three to four years. You may find that phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) levels have improved and as a result fertiliser use can be cut.
A nutrient management plan should be produced on-farm.If soil pH is low then lime may need to be applied. Lime is a low-cost investment that can deliver a big return as it can make P and K more available from soils.
Having an up-to-date set of soil test results will allow slurry and farmyard manure to be targeted where they are needed most.
Current soil sample results also help to target crops like clover or legumes to fields with high soil pH levels and optimum P and K levels.
Test slurry
Testing slurry allows farmers to target it where it is needed most.
Slurry from finishing cattle can be targeted to low P soils.
Crop choice
Beans on tillage farms will not need artificial nitrogen applied. There will also be a minimum payment of €350/ha for the crop under the protein aid scheme.
There are payments available to convert grassland to tillage. Maize, beet or whole-crop could be an option on-farm to add to fodder supplies next winter. Maybe red clover could be grown on the farm?
The crop would only need nitrogen at establishment or in early spring and red clover can help to reduce the concentrate bill as well as the fertiliser bill.
White clover could be over-sown into swards where appropriate and this could help to reduce nitrogen use on grassland.
There are payments available for red clover and multi-species sward seed, and these may be an option on-farm to reduce nitrogen use.
To manage risk on-farm, purchase fertiliser, even a very small amount if possible.Soil test your farm to produce a nutrient management plan and improve fertiliser use efficiency.Test slurry and target it to where it is needed.Consider crops which can reduce artificial fertiliser use.Payment is available to grow or plant some crops which can reduce fertiliser use. 
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