Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
774. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the year-on-year percentage increases in the average cost per tonne of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers in Ireland from 2021 to April 2026; the main drivers behind the renewed surge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36821/26]
View answerThe price of natural gas is a key component of fertiliser production and gas price has increased by around 50% since 1 March this year. Agriculture in the EU as a whole is vulnerable to shocks in the availability and price of fertiliser due to limited internal production capacity and a reliance on imports. Ireland does not produce fertilisers and therefore is exposed to market shifts.
The National Fertiliser Database (NFD) tracks sales by volume only of all types of fertiliser imported and sold in Ireland, as set down in legislation. There is no legislative requirement to monitor sales prices and my Department has no role in setting fertiliser prices.
The Agricultural Price Indices are published each month by the Central Statistics Office and measure trends in farm input costs. The CSO fertiliser price index is available at the following link: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-api/agriculturalpriceindicesmarch2026/.[]
