The European Commission has today (Friday, July 31) adopted measures to help farmers with fertiliser costs.

In recent months, geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions have pushed prices of fertilisers up across Europe.

The approved targeted adjustments to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will enable member states to provide farmers with faster and more flexible support to access fertilisers, the commission said.

Fertiliser support

These measures include three main elements.

Firstly, a new liquidity scheme under rural development for crisis support, which can be co-financed up to 65% from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

It can include unused funds that may otherwise be lost and member states may add national financing of up to 200%.

The European Commission said to ensure "rapid delivery and minimise administrative burdens", support can be paid as a fixed amount per hectare and implemented through the CAP Strategic Plans.

Member states will also have the possibility to provide advanced direct payments to farmers before October 16 with an increased rate of advances, in a bid to help with short-term cashflow needs.

Member states will have further flexibility in addressing the impact of the high fertiliser prices, by adjusting their allocations for direct payments for calendar year 2027, the commission added.

Fertiliser Action Plan

These measures complement the support package of €540 million announced in the Fertiliser Action Plan and adopted on July 27.

As recently reported by Agriland, Ireland has been allocated a potential €15.3 million share of the European Commission's proposed €540 million fertiliser support package.

The commission said it will continue to deliver on the Fertiliser Action Plan to "reduce farmers' exposure to future crises" and, through these actions, "strengthen EU food security, strategic autonomy and competitiveness".