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A survey by the Irish Farmers Journal of current fertiliser prices being paid by farmers globally suggests that NI is right at the top end of price lists.
The survey shows that prices are up significantly around the world, and there is no cheap product available anywhere.
But at a local urea price of £800/t, when converted into a €/kg price to allow a fair comparison to be made, NI is ahead of prices being quoted in Britain, the US, Australia or New Zealand.
The cheapest available fertiliser was in midwest America, with prices there up to 20% behind some quotes in NI.
Those local quotes have changed little in recent weeks, with CAN still trading around the £600/t mark.
There are some deals to be had by pricing round. Some merchants have CAN available at £580 to £590/t ex yard, but full payment must be made on purchase. Equally, there are other price quotes in the region of £610/t for CAN.
The availability of urea has increased from early January and where it is in stock, price quotes range from £780 to £810/t ex yard. Protected urea is costing £30 to £50/t more.
Quotes for grassland products such as 25-5-5 and 27-4-4 are generally in the region of £650 to £670/t, with similar quotes for 15-15-15. Straights such as muriate of potash will cost well over £600/t ,with DAP typically over £700/t.
Glyphosate
Farmers in the market for glyphosate should note that prices have almost quadrupled on last year. A 20 litre drum is likely to cost in the region of £200, up from £50 to £60 last spring.
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