Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
59. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s projections for chemical nitrogen use in 2022 compared to 2021 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38242/22]
View answerThe Department collects data on fertiliser sales from manufacturers to retailers over the fertiliser year (October to September). The following table sets out chemical nitrogen fertiliser sales for quarters one and two of 2020, 2021 and 2022 for comparison purposes. Quarter three data for this year will not be available until August.
|
- |
Tonnes N |
|
1/10/19 – 30/3/20 |
726,258 |
|
1/10/20 - 30/3/21 |
903,013 |
|
1/10/21 – 30/3/22 |
787,275 |
While sales figures for 2022 are not complete, a reduction in sales reflects the impact fertiliser price has had on sales together with other interventions that supported farmers reduce their dependence on chemical fertiliser.
The Teagasc 2022 Soils, Nutrients and Fertiliser Campaign which I launched in January provided a comprehensive information pack for farmers and their advisors on optimising the use of plant nutrients to address the challenge of maintaining their farm outputs in the face of rising fertiliser costs and reduced availability.
The factsheets prepared covered soil testing, lime application, nitrogen usage, organic manures, fertiliser spreading and many other topics that would have supported farmers to reduce their dependency on chemical fertilisers. It is a credible roadmap that is good the environemnt and good for the farmer's pocket.
Additionally, I introduced a Targeted Intervention Package worth over €12 million to support Irish farmers which identified three key pillars aimed at supporting Irish families arising both from events in Ukraine and wider global price volatility. The Package included a Multi-Species Sward Initiative and a Red Clover Silage Measure to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming, thereby reducing nitrogen fertiliser usage, while maintaining forage yield.
My Department works closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding water quality, and in particular over recent months on the development of Ireland's 5th Nitrates Action Programme. As part of this Nitrates Action Programme, a 10% reduction in the maximum chemical nitrogen allowance for grassland has been applied with effect from March of this year. In addition, under the Programme, to reflect farming practice it is no longer possible to assign a chemical fertiliser allowance to commonage land.
All of these factors have contributed to a reduction in chemical nitrogen use to date in 2022 and it is expected that this reduction will be maintained through to the end of the fertiliser year in October.
