The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has slammed the EU Commission’s response to the ongoing fertiliser cost crisis as “woefully inadequate”.
The communication, adopted today (Wednesday, November 9) by the commission, outlines ways to ensure the availability and affordability of fertilisers against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The document includes measures to help farmers optimise their fertiliser use and reduce their dependency while securing yields.
The commission outlined how EU member states can provide specific supports for both farmers and fertiliser producers.
Member states can also prioritise access to natural gas for fertiliser producers in their national emergency plans in the event of gas rationing.
However, the commission has ruled out lifting anti-dumping duties on fertiliser imports as this could risk production within the EU.
ICSA president Dermot Kelleher has criticised the document stating that “there were echoes of the disastrous thinking that caused chaos in Sri Lanka”.
“The EU response is that we need to move away from chemical fertilisers. That’s all very lovely and desirable but there has to be an element of real world thinking if we are to avoid a food security and affordability crisis.”
He said that Irish farmers are “rapidly moving” to reduce their dependence on chemical fertiliser through the use of slurry and farmyard manure, clover, lime and technology to ensure accurate spreading.
However, he said some of the actions cost a lot of money and take time to implement.
“It is disappointing to say the least that the EU has refused to budge on import tariffs on fertiliser which is achieving nothing other than penalising EU agriculture.
“The reality is that this will lead to further pressure on grain prices as well as on the cost of growing grass. All farming sectors will be hit as a result of the failure to take this issue seriously,” the ICSA president added.
Kelleher acknowledged that the possibility of using the EU agriculture reserve worth €450 million to help farmers in 2023 was being considered but he felt the EU was “dragging its heels”.
“The real problem is that the EU is not looking at new funding sources to solve the input inflation crisis, which is an extraordinary scenario, partly caused by EU quantitative easing programmes and of course, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.
“The ongoing belief that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) fund can be raided over and over to solve unprecedented disasters is untenable.
“ICSA supports the development of non-fossil fertilisers, but it is wishful thinking in the extreme that this will provide a solution in the next 3-5 years,” he said.
The ICSA president renewed his call on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to deliver a targeted fertiliser support of up to €2,000 for low-income sectors.