2026-05-14

98. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the long-term measures being developed to protect farmers and horticulturists from fertiliser market shocks, including price volatility and supply disruption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35766/26]

125. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his strategy in ensuring stabilisation of fertiliser prices and supply for farmers and horticulturists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35767/26]

126. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the availability, cost and supply of fertiliser in the State due to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34698/26]

Farmers and horticulturists are being hammered by the price of fertiliser and supply uncertainty yet again. The conflict in west Asia has driven up fuel and fertiliser prices and disrupted key shipping routes. Fertiliser bills have shot up and vital deliveries are in doubt for so many. Farmers feel little has been done since the last fertiliser crisis and are getting more and more frustrated. They are very reasonably asking what long-term measures the Minister is delivering to shield farmers from supply shocks like this.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 125 and 126 together. Ireland is a relatively small market in respect of fertiliser sales and usage compared with many of our EU neighbours. No fertilisers are manufactured in Ireland, as the Deputy knows, and this results in indigenous fertiliser companies being price-takers. Those prices are dependent on global supply and demand. An estimated 35% of global urea trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, plus 45% of sulphur exports and a significant volume of the ammonia used in nitrogen fertilisers. Overall it has been estimated 25% to 30% of global nitrogen fertiliser exports pass through the strait. The wider region is estimated to account for 45% of global urea exports, 27% of ammonia exports and 47% of sulphur exports. My Department continues to engage with fertiliser importers to monitor supply issues and concerns. Fertiliser product continues to arrive although challenges in supply exist, especially in the case of urea. 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. The national fertiliser database import figures show that fertiliser stocks increased significantly during the fourth quarter of 2025 with calcium ammonium nitrate, CAN, imports increasing by 55% and urea by 260%. Teagasc has a comprehensive information pack for farmers and their advisors, through a compendium of 20 fact sheets, 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. One of the answers to this question is that we are reducing our dependency on artificial fertiliser because that is what we need to do in order to make our farming and food production system more robust on this island, particularly as we do not have domestic production of artificial fertiliser. The fact sheets supplied by Teagasc cover issues of soil testing, lime application, nitrogen usage, organic manures, fertiliser spreading and many other topics that will be incredibly useful for farmers. It is not just about what we spread on our land but also about the phosphorus and potassium, P and K, levels, acidity and composition of our land such that it can best take up those nutrients and be in the best condition to do so. This is where soil testing and lime application can, in the right circumstances and on the basis of those soil test results, make a significant difference. Depending on the type of fertiliser, increases in prices have varied. The price of CAN is estimated to have risen by about 20% since the beginning of March, while the price of urea has increased by as much as 60%. 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 are as described. However, I have continued to monitor the market situation given the negative impact that high fertiliser prices have had on farmers’ expenditure and profitability. I will continue to engage with my EU counterparts regarding the impact of the Middle East crisis on the supply and price of fertilisers. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions. The question was very much formulated on the basis of what we are doing to build our resilience and address the vulnerability we have in this space, but as a short-term measure, I raised the need to invoke Article 27a of the CBAM at successive AGRIFISH Council meetings. This allows for the suspension of certain elements under certain set criteria. I believe we are in this crisis period now where fertiliser should be set aside as part of CBAM. I had the support of a number of other member states on this request. We pushed for it but the Commission, to date, has not been minded to avail of it. What Commissioner Hansen has pointed to very clearly is the introduction by the Commission of a fertiliser action plan, and that is due to be published next week, on 19 May. I expect that fertiliser action plan to have a very significant series of proposals around the cost and availability of fertiliser and how that will impact us. That is something we await. The Commission is very clear on my views about the impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on the supply and price of fertiliser for our farmers and the knock-on impact that can have on food production into the future.

It is hugely important to look beyond the immediate crisis and to set out a strategy for a more resilient supply. As the Minister said, the European Commission is about to launch its fertiliser security plan aiming at cutting dependency, boosting production and promoting alternatives. That is good and vital, but those solutions are going to take time to implement and farmers are under pressure in the short term. That will especially be the case next year. We are hearing that Russia, India and China, the main suppliers, will be looking to focus their supplies on their own farming sectors ahead of exporting fertiliser. That will really put pressure on next year. Is there a plan for possibly bulk-buying fertiliser? I note and welcome what the Minister said about CBAM. Possibly, at this stage, it is not really the time to be introducing CBAM, and I ask the Minister to press this issue further. Are there efforts to bulk-buy fertiliser to ensure there will be a supply for next year?

The Minister spoke about price increases, including the price of CAN having risen by 20% and that of urea by as much as 60%. In the context of his engagement with importers and sellers of fertiliser, has any work been done with regard to ensuring that these price increases are based on a lack of supply rather than someone trying to make a profit on the back of fears that are out there? How has the Minister’s engagement with the European Commission gone? It sounds as if it has not been utterly fruitful in relation to CBAM. What replies has he received? In the previous question I posed to the Minister, he spoke in response about mid-April being crux time. We are well beyond that now. When is it believed that there will be a real issue? I agree with what was said earlier regarding our need to develop resilience. The Minister spoke about farmers engaging with their advisers. Where are we in relation to having a real alternative to fertiliser? I accept that the Strait of Hormuz issue has been caused by others and has little to do with us, but we have to ensure that we build resilience.

The fertiliser issue is having a huge impact globally. Even the WHO has said that it is going to have an impact on food production and could lead to global food shortages. This is a real issue that we need to deal with here in Ireland with regard to resilience and to finding alternatives. The Minister mentioned that work has been done on this aspect and I welcome that. One of the alternatives I would like the Minister to note is that there is an awful lot of poultry production in the North at the moment. As he knows, poultry litter is a very good fertiliser, particularly in the context of the tillage sector. I spoke to a poultry farmer yesterday in the North at the Balmoral Show. He told me he is applying for planning permission, but to get it, he has to show that he can get a licence to export the poultry litter to the South to be spread. He has been doing this for the past five years from his poultry farm, but he is having difficulties getting those things sorted out. It is not just him. There are several others as well. It is quite a problem because they need to get co-operation North and South in this regard. I ask the Minister to consider sorting out this problem because it is a very good source of nitrogen, especially for the tillage industry but also for other sectors. It is very clearly available and something I would like the Minister to deal with. On the broader issue, we really need to get to grips with putting supports in place for farmers to be able to get the adequate amounts of fertilisers they need to be able to develop their industry.

The geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East is the key driver of this problem. It has put pressure on fertiliser prices and affected the likely availability of fertiliser over the course of the year. As I said, the EU Commission is bringing forward a fertiliser action plan next week. It is anticipated that this plan will focus not only on short-term crisis support but also on structural measures to reduce EU dependency on imported synthetic fossil fuel-based fertilisers. Turning to Deputy Aindrias Moynihan’s point, there definitely is not just a short-term reaction here. We need to learn from what is happening to ensure we are not back in this situation every couple of years whenever there is a conflict. In addition, there are proposals to provide a means of financially supporting farmers through targeted exceptional supports, which we also look forward to seeing the details of. It is expected that these proposals will contain measures to boost domestic production, promote sustainable practices and encourage the increased use of organic fertilisers and enhanced soil health to reduce dependency on synthetic products. In the context of the blockages Deputy Kenny outlined, I am happy to talk to him afterwards about them. I am in Armagh tomorrow morning for a sectoral meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, where I will be meeting my counterpart, Minister Muir. If the Deputy gives me further details, I will be happy to raise this with him tomorrow to see what the issue might be. I am not aware of impediments, they have not been raised with me, but perhaps the issue is on the Northern side. We can see what the situation is. Deputy Moynihan referred to CBAM and that it is not the time to bring it in. Actually, inadvertently, CBAM has kind of been our friend in that because it was coming in on 1 January this year, importers front-loaded and this meant there was an extra stock of fertiliser in the country. The national fertiliser database gives us very clear information around where we are. Imports of CAN have increased by 55% and urea by 260%, so we are definitely aided by the fact that there is a lot more product in the country and the fertiliser industry continues to import more stocks. My Department is in very regular contact with the fertiliser importer to assess supply issues and address them. Obviously, we have made a point around Article 27a, which we will continue to articulate to the Commission as well.

Has the Minister looked at the possibility of moving towards green sources of energy? We do not have a supply of fertiliser manufactured here at home because we do not have the gas, but we do have wind. Has the Minister looked at the possibility of using that type of energy in the context of developing green ammonia plants here? Second, there is a great opportunity in relation to recovered nitrogen from manure, RENURE, fertilisers, which have recently been approved. Europe should be looking at the possibility of becoming more resilient and self-sufficient, rather than having to reach out elsewhere, using those alternatives and moving away, as much as we can, from chemical options.

I ask the Minister to outline any progress made in relation to alternatives, be it supply or organics. When does he think we will have a crux in relation to fertiliser supply? Has there been any monitoring of prices and whether there is any price gouging going on? That would be utterly unacceptable.

The fertiliser database gives us good data in relation to where we are at. Fertiliser continues to be imported into the country and the database indicates that is sufficient fertiliser in the country at present. However, products such as urea may come into short supply. We continue to monitor the price as well. To the broader point made by Deputy Moynihan about wind generation, one would not look at that in the context of Ireland alone. We will see what is in the European Commission's proposals in the action plan on fertiliser next week when it is published by Commissioner Hansen. We will see what the medium-term elements and supports are, but it is definitely a vulnerability for Europe that we are so dependent across Europe for this key component. The Deputy made a point about RENURE. We supported the introduction of the RENURE measure, but it is not really of major benefit to us in its current form because of the lack of anaerobic digestion here. When the Deputy talks about us building our resilience, countries that have a lot of anaerobic digestion have digestate to go back out onto the land. From a water quality perspective, as well as our efforts to maintain the nitrates derogation, that would be greatly assisted if we had more anaerobic digestion in that space. That is where RENURE kicks in.

I presume the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is not going to let me back in.

Unfortunately not. I was looking forward to the Deputy's intervention.

Deputy Kenny, who does not even have a herd number spoke five times, and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will not let me in.

Well said.

Will the Deputy give me his herd number?

Will the Deputy come home and milk my cows this evening?

Order, please.