What are your thoughts on the fertiliser price s for 2022

In the Sunday Business Post today.

All Irish farmers will be asked to plant some of their land in wheat, barley and other grains, as part of emergency plans being drawn up by the government to offset a predicted food security crisis in Europe amid Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, the Business Post understands.

It comes as the EU plans to introduce emergency measures to slash its energy dependence on Russia by rebuilding its reserve stocks of gas and oil, while also turning to alternative sources of energy commodities in other parts of the world. The Irish government, meanwhile, plans to bring in a “swing mechanism” for excise duty on fuel that means it would fluctuate in value depending on when oil prices go up or down in a bid to keep prices somewhat stable at the pumps.

While the focus of European leaders is on responding to the humanitarian crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in punishing Vladimir Putin’s regime through financial sanctions, they are also bracing for major disruptions to both food and energy supply chains as Russian forces escalate their assault on several Ukrainian cities.

In Ireland, Charlie McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, has assembled an emergency team within his department to develop a new scheme to encourage farmers to grow significantly more native grains this year in a bid to offset the likely shortfall in grain supplies from the Black Sea region, which accounts for about a third of the world’s wheat production.

The last time the country introduced such a measure was during World War II when tillage rules meant every farmer in the country had to plant at least one acre of land in crops to support food supplies. Similar steps were also taken during World War I.

Ireland imports about 60 per cent of the five million tons of grain it consumes each year, with most of it used in animal feed and some in human foodstuffs. Ukraine is Ireland’s largest supplier of maize corn, which is used in animal feed, while Russia is also a major supplier of chemical fertiliser.

The Business Post understands McConalogue wants to see the scheme rolled out rapidly as the window for planting spring crops closes in the next six weeks or so.

“Food is our most crucial resource in such times and Irish farmers are world leaders in the production of safe, sustainable and healthy food,” a spokesman for McConalogue said.

The move comes as the EU prepares to introduce emergency measures to shore up its energy supplies in the likely event that Europe will be cut off from Russian gas supplies altogether in the coming months, whether through choice or through retaliatory sanctions from Russia.

Russia accounted for almost 50 per cent of natural gas imports in Europe last year and 25 per cent of crude oil imports. It also accounts for close to 50 per cent of EU coal imports.

Some member states are more dependent on Russia for their energy security than others, with Germany importing up to 70 per cent of its natural gas and 25 per cent of its crude oil needs from the country.

To mitigate this exposure, the EU plans to restock gas storage facilities on the continent in advance of next winter, increase the volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, and solidify energy solidarity agreements between member states that should result in more balanced rationing in the event of shortfalls.

The emergency proposals will also include new tools for member states to help alleviate the pressure of ongoing energy inflation on households.

As markets continue to price in the full impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have on global supplies of key commodities, oil and gas prices have soared to record highs in the past week, which will further drive up costs for European households.

The Business Post has learned that the Irish government is planning to introduce a “swing mechanism” for excise duty on fuel that will fluctuate in value depending on when oil prices go up or down. The government is prepared to cut excise duties on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel, particularly if prices continue to rise beyond a threshold of €2 per litre at the pumps.

Additionally, Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Energy and Climate, said the government plans to release 227,000 barrels of oil from the state’s national oil reserves as part of a global effort to release 60 million reserve barrels and ease the pressure on global energy markets.

They were told often enough about what they were doing to the world's food security. Will this bring the re-wilding craze to an end so....

Green Core thought it was a great idea to kill the Irish malt and the sugar beet industry. Only if we had it now we be in a great position. All the jobs both of these industries provided.

Or contractors to sow/ manage them

Theirs plenty of capacity machinery wise out their with the kit lads are running nowadays, where does Charlie reckon the fertilizer especially along with to a lessor extent seed and sprays is going to come from, 20 litre drum of roundup is circa 260 euro at the minute, to get any uptake at all in getting extra acres into cereals they'd need to be making payments of 400 euro a acre upfront to entice lads,

But the power that be think they can use and abuse farmers any way they like. They dont care if its profitable or not. They think we should twist and turn to suit their agenda. Can you imagine last that havent grown cereals in living memory to be now expected to.

They will probably use the stick approach and tie it to your sfp, with a mandatory requirement for 5% of farmed area in crops, where the inputs are ment to come from is still the million dollar question

It's not going to be practical to achieve this if I understand it correctly. For example if a farmer had 100 acres of grass land, he is expected to sow 5 acres of corn. That's not going to be very efficent. I know we maybe in unprecedented times and all that.

Since the late 80’s / early 90’s Irish made means very little with allot of industry’s wiped out cos it was cheaper to import. Now that imports aren’t as easy sourced they remember these things were once easily available throughout this island. Main issue is when all is they’ll go back to importing cheap in the future.

We should learn from the most recent opec meeting it took them 13 minutes to decide the weren't going to ramp up production of oil..talk about having a strangle hold on the market..

A couple a cent on milk or beef and the Irish farmer is eating there neighbours for land to produce more.

Wouldnt get too carried away with results this Spring. We have cows out grazing grass covers the likes I have never seen before, no fertilizer spread yet, those paddocks didnt even get slurry. Shure the lawn has already been cut twice this Spring.

Seed will definitely be an issue. I was only talking to a rep yesterday about getting seed barley as after 8 years out of it I’m considering going back into it. He’s to ring me Monday to see if any can be got. They’re already under pressure trying to get supply for their existing orders.

Plenty of tillage quality land taken up in glas traditional hay meadows around here. Allow lads plough and sow corn in there and still pay them glas on it. Be a large uptake on that and grown from ley it should yield too.

I think there is an n missing from the end of that username.