Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
775. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional annual input cost burden placed on the average family farm arising from the recent fertiliser price increases; to provide a breakdown by farm type (dairy, beef, tillage, sheep); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36822/26]
View answerThe current situation in the Middle East is putting upward pressure on fertiliser prices. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports monthly on the Agricultural Input Price Index, which tracks the prices paid by farmers for purchases of goods and services. The latest data shows that fertiliser prices increased by 12% in the month of March 2026, which is an increase of 17.3% compared to March 2025.
However, Irish fertiliser importers engaged in advance buying of fertilisers in the last quarter of 2025, while many farmers also forward-purchased fertiliser. Therefore, the estimated additional cost on a full-year basis is anticipated to be lower than that implied by the current increased market prices.
The table below shows the latest results available on the average cost of fertiliser per farm represented in the Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS), for the year 2024, with dairy and tillage relatively higher than the overall average.
|
NFS 2024 |
Dairy |
Cattle Rearing |
Cattle Other |
Sheep |
Tillage |
Overall |
|
Average Fertiliser Costs per Farm (€) |
17,865 |
2,349 |
3,222 |
2,860 |
17,099 |
6,653 |
It is not currently possible to report the additional cost of recent price increases by farm type. This would vary at farm level and depend on many factors such as the extent to which fertiliser was purchased in advance of the conflict, whether improved-use efficiency measures are adopted, and whether the volume of fertiliser purchased reduces in response to higher prices.
My Department will continue to monitor the impact on input costs from the conflict in the Middle East, including the fertiliser market.
