A call for action on the fertiliser crisis in the EU has been supported by members of the European Parliament during a vote in Strasbourg today (Thursday, February).
Irish MEP Colm Markey helped to negotiate the text of the resolution, which outlines the need for funding to support the agricultural industry and those affected by the significant rise in the cost of fertiliser over the past year.
Speaking during the debate in Strasbourg, the Midlands North-West representative said the EU’s response to the problem so far “does not go far enough and consumers are being hit by soaring food prices as a result”.
“The response has not been enough. We need additional funding to support the industry in the short term.
“We need to remove the anti-dumping measures and we need to ensure there’s a supply of both the raw material such as gas and indeed a supply of fertiliser in the coming months.
“Until we do this, food prices will continue to increase and quite simply, we can’t afford to let that happen,” he added.
Markey also made references to disparities in global fertiliser prices, outlining his concern that prices have come down in some regions while they remain significantly higher in others.
“I was looking at figures this week, where the variation in some parts of Europe like Germany and the UK, reveal prices have dropped by up to 40%, but in other parts, they have not,” he said.
Speaking to Agriland, Markey said the resolution, which was supported by a show of hands, includes proposals to ensure that fertiliser is sold at “true market prices” and that farmers are not taken advantage of by retailers.
He added that the resolution also addresses the need for competition in the market, to drive prices back down and ensure the availability of additional supply. He said:
“I certainly have highlighted a concern that fertiliser that was bought last autumn could dictate a price for the coming spring and may not sell at the current price.”
The MEP said that the EU must ensure that every country across the continent is treated equally and called for the establishment of a “fertiliser market observatory” which should ensure “equivalence all across Europe”.
He also reiterated the importance of weaning ourselves off synthetic fertilisers down the line.
“We need to ensure that in the longer term we wean ourselves off from over-dependency on chemical fertiliser and look at alternative options,” he told Agriland.
“Particularly in a grass-based scenario where clover and things like that could play a significant role.
“That is going to take time though and in the shorter term we need to be able to secure enough fertiliser and we need to be sure we’re getting that for the true market price,” he stated.