Irish farmers are unhappy with the European Commission

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) told the European Commission’s decision in December to prolong anti-dumping tariffs on Ammonium Nitrate (AN) from Russia for another five years has contributed to the recent hike in the price of nitrogen fertilisers.

IFA Farm Business and Inputs Chairperson Rose Mary McDonagh said that the Commission had chosen to protect the profitability of European fertiliser producers while farmers face higher input costs.

“In January, merchants were selling SulCAN at €205-220 per tonn. This week prices are up at €240-270 per tonn,” said Rose Mary McDonagh.

“Irish and European farmers are paying over the odds for fertiliser. The European Commission is undermining the competitiveness of EU agriculture and destroying farmers’ incomes by enabling a dysfunctional fertiliser market in the EU,” she added.

Last year, IFA wrote to Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski highlighting ‘the need to see him come out and defend farmers’ livelihoods by demanding a fairer market for fertiliser inputs. Anti-dumping measures on the import of AN and UAN fertilisers into the EU achieve just the opposite’.

“Our highest cost is nitrogen, but fertiliser prices are artificially high, and farmers have no say in the matter. The Commission has to listen to farmers and recognise the negative economic impact on the users of fertilisers. The fertiliser industry is profitable enough; they don’t need further protection with anti-dumping measures,” concluded Rose Mary McDonagh.