December 1, 2021
MacManus questions Commission on rising fertiliser prices

MacManus questions Commission on rising fertiliser prices

Last night, Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus questioned the European Commission, who were attending a sitting of the European Parliament Agricultural Committee, on what can be done about spiralling fertilizer prices. 

MEP MacManus explained to the Commission representatives:

“It does not take an economist to tell you that a functioning market is a balanced one and this is certainly not the case in the fertiliser sector. Price hikes are squeezing farmers and we must look at how we can relieve pressure.”

“One of the major contributing issues to the crises is of course the global increase in gas prices. This is not something we can fix overnight and is not something this committee is likely to solve.”

“In terms of what we can do, we can look at the fertiliser supply coming into Europe. Currently the EU imposes anti-dumping tariffs on nitrogen fertiliser. This makes non-EU products more expensive on the EU market, and is designed to protect EU fertiliser producers.”

“I highlighted that at the beginning of November CAN prices were over €600 a tonne and urea prices were around €900.”

MacManus suggested mechanisms to help farmers, “I fully appreciate the need to protect European business but if their profits, which are in the region of 40%, are resulting in farmers paying over the odds for their product then we need to curb it. My suggestion is to aid farmers by reducing the tariffs on non-EU imports for a limited period; this would increase supply and bring down prices. “

“The Commission confirmed that this option was feasible and it would carry out the necessary review to see how such a measure could operate. It did make it clear this would not be a panacea, as gas costs were still a big factor in the final price, but of course, any money we can put back into farmer’s pockets is worth doing.”

“Sinn Féin believes in the long term we must develop the supply of organic fertilisers and agro-ecological techniques to make us less dependent on nitrogen fertilisers, but in the meantime, farmers need to have access to imports at affordable prices.” ENDS

Follow us online

Latest Tweets

Proud to stand with the largest team of Sinn Féin TDs in over 100 years.

We are more determined than ever to deliver real change for workers, families, and communities across the island.

We’re back in Leinster House today with the largest team of Sinn Féin TDs in over 100 years.

A team of 39 TDs with the energy, determination, and commitment to deliver for working people. We want to thank the hundreds of thousands of people who voted for Sinn Féin and for real…

This is the biggest group of Sinn Féin TDs to enter Leinster House in over a century

We are here to work for you, we are in your corner and we will never ever give up on our mission to create an equal, a fair and a united Ireland

The work of winning a better future for all continues right now – @MaryLouMcDonald

"We are in the corner of ordinary people. We have your back, and we are not giving up."

Load More

Statements