The possibility of reduced availability of chemical fertiliser next spring has been highlighted once again in recent weeks, which poses a number of questions for farmers as they begin planning for 2023.
Many dairy farmers typically buy fertiliser at the tailend of the year for use when the spreading period opens the following year.
Considering the potential shortage of supply that is expected for early next year, this may be good practice once again.
Chemical fertiliser
Although many farms have carried out great work in getting clover established into swards to reduce chemical fertiliser demand, some will still be needed.
Clover production during early summer (May and June) is poor, so chemical nitrogen (N) on highly stocked farms is required to give swards that boost.
Before you begin ordering fertiliser there are a number of things you should consider. The first thing that should be done is to determine the fertiliser requirements for 2023 for your farm, factoring in the need to build sufficient fodder reserves.
Once this has been done, dairy farmers should consider securing 25-30% of their total annual fertiliser requirement for 2023, where possible.
This should only be done in situations where cashflow allows for it at this time of year. Farmers should not put themselves under financial strain to purchase fertiliser.
It may also be a worthwhile looking at using protected urea if it is available rather than standard urea or compound fertilisers.
To buy
You should avoid purchasing more than the recommended 25-30% for a number reasons.
Firstly, considering the current price of fertiliser – it is a considerable investment for any farm to make. Secondly there is always the potential that prices will drop in the new year, and forward buying will mean you cannot benefit from the drop.
Another potential issue is around the storage of fertiliser; with it being so expensive you want to keep it under cover and or out of sight – large amounts make this difficult.
Like most other years the advice is to buy some now, this splits the risk and ensures that you will have access to some fertiliser early next year.