Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
776. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any emergency financial supports, rebates or targeted grants are being considered to offset the fertiliser cost pressures highlighted by witnesses (details supplied) at the Oireachtas Joint Committee meeting on 29 April 2026; to outline the timeline for any such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36823/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra780. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the latest data on fertiliser price trends in Ireland compared with other EU member states and to outline any specific actions his Department is taking to prevent Irish farmers from being placed at a competitive disadvantage as a result of the price increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36827/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra783. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the Government's long-term strategy for stabilising and reducing fertiliser input costs for the Irish farming sector, including any plans for research into alternative nutrient sources or on-farm nutrient efficiency programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36830/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 776, 780 and 783 together.
My Department has no function in terms of fertiliser prices beyond the regulatory function of ensuring products placed on the market are in keeping with the fertiliser regulatory framework and that standards such as nutrient content etc. are as described. However I continue to monitor the market situation and engage with the fertiliser importers.
It should be noted that many farmers and other fertiliser users forward bought fertiliser earlier in the year. In addition, the Irish fertiliser industry purchased significant volumes of product in advance of the full introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Depending on the type of fertiliser, increases in fertiliser prices have varied, with the price of CAN estimated to have risen c.20% since the beginning of March 2026 whilst urea has increased by as much as 60%. Nitrogen fertiliser prices in the EU were running around 70% above the 2024 average by April 2026.
Teagasc has put together a comprehensive information pack for farmers and their advisors - through a compendium of 20 factsheets - to optimise the use of plant nutrients and to help farmers address the challenge of maintaining their farm outputs in the face of rising fertiliser costs and reduced availability.
These factsheets cover issues of soil testing, lime application, nitrogen usage, organic manures, fertiliser spreading and many other topics that will be useful for farmers. One of the clearest opportunities for reducing dependence on chemical manures is improved utilisation of organic manures with farmers having made great strides in recent years in this area. The improved use of organic manures has been greatly supported by generous grant aid under my Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) supporting additional storage and the use of low emission application technology which improves the utilisation of organic manures.
The general advice to farmers is to consult with their advisor as regards on-farm soil fertility and nutrient management plans, to decide on the most efficient input requirements for their farming enterprise and in turn their overall fertiliser requirements.
