Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2018
513. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the degree to which his Department monitors the costs of farm inputs such as fertilisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7461/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) monitors and collects data on the price of fertilisers on a monthly basis. In addition, my Department receives data on the type and quantity of fertilisers and lime sold on a quarterly basis from industry and both sources are used to calculate the overall input costs of fertiliser on a national basis.
Total Irish fertiliser costs of €503.2m were recorded for 2015/16. There was an increase of 1.1% in the quantity of fertiliser used during this period to 1,411,913 tonnes. For 2016/2017, sales of fertiliser increased by 10% to 1,552,809 tonnes. Data supplied by the CSO shows a reduction in the cost of fertiliser of 14.9% for the year 2016. Accordingly, the projected input fertiliser cost for 2016/17 is marginally up at c.€505.2m, albeit based on increased sales volumes.
Currently, Europe is only 80% self-sufficient in fertiliser production and must import 20% of its requirements. As such, European and Irish fertiliser prices are strongly linked to global prices and heavily influenced by supply and demand.
