Fertiliser prices have remained unchanged since the start of March, despite demand beginning to pick up around the country.

While conditions in many areas are still not dry enough to get out on land to spread fertiliser, merchants and co-ops are seeing a lift in orders this week.

CAN is still retailing between €370/t and €380/t delivered.

Urea is costing between €470/t and €480/t across the country with protected urea costing between €40/t and €50/t more.

Muriate of potash

Muriate of potash is costing around the €510/t mark with 18:6:12+S costing between €475/t and €510/t.

Prices for 10:10:20 are between €485/t and €550/t, while 0:7:30 is retailing for between €485/t and €530/t.

Farmers with restricted phosphorus use can buy 29:0:14+S for between €465/t and €510/t.

Meanwhile, in Ulster, protected urea can be bought for €480/t, pasture sward for €470/t and cut sward for €480/t.

“The end of last week and this week has been busy with fertiliser orders coming in.

“If we get a few fine days at all it’ll take off,” a sales rep in the north Tipperary area said.

Price outlook

Over the next six to eight weeks, fertiliser importers maintain that prices will remain the same.

“The market is picking up a little bit but at the minute there’ll definitely be no weakening in prices for the next six to eight weeks.

“Demand is still quite bad, merchants are trying to shift stock – nobody likes sitting on stock. Farmers will have to start ordering for the whole system to get going. Logistics is going to be a huge issue,” an industry spokesperson said.