The value of the country’s pig slurry has ballooned to over €23m, as a result of the surge in chemical fertiliser prices.

Pig farmers report strong interest from the tillage and drystock sectors for slurry in the spring, with some parties said to be offering €35 to €40 per 1,000 gallons to secure supplies.

Tillage and livestock farmers have generally not paid for pig slurry.

However, the increased recent demand is being driven by mounting fears that chemical fertiliser will be scarce in 2022.

It is estimated that the country’s pigs produce close to 2.2m tonnes of slurry each year, which is equivalent to around 480m gallons.

While the value of pig manure as a fertiliser was traditionally put at €24 per 1,000 gallons, this has now jumped to €48 per 1,000 gallons, according to the latest figures from Teagasc.

Given the very high fertiliser prices, the use of pig slurry has now much more potential to save a farmer money

This means that the overall value of pig slurry has doubled in 2021, increasing by around €11.5m to a total of €23m. Typically, 1,000 gallons of pig slurry (4.3% solids) is considered to be equivalent, in chemical fertiliser terms, to a 50kg bag of an NPK product 19-7-20.

“Given the very high fertiliser prices, the use of pig slurry has now much more potential to save a farmer money,” said Gerard McCutcheon of Teagasc.

“Pig slurry, or manure, is a very good source of organic matter if used over a number of years on tillage soils,” he added.

IFA pigs chair Roy Gallie said the increased importance of pig manure as a means of offsetting chemical fertiliser usage justified the introduction of a standalone TAMS measure to fund the development of slurry storage facilities on tillage and grassland farms.