Fertiliser industry under the spotlight at IFA conference

Since 2005, total expenditure on farming inputs has increased more than 50%, from €3.7bn to €5.7bn, now soaking up more than over 70% of the farm-gate value of output, said IFA President Eddie Downey last week.

He said, “Fertiliser, as the second biggest expenditure on farms, has seen prices increase by over 75% during the same period, to over €600m in 2014. Meanwhile, farm incomes over the same period have fallen by more than 20%.

He was announcing details of a major conference to be hosted by IFA next week, at which market concentration among the major fertiliser manufacturers, and mechanisms to restore competition in the market, will be examined by key international speakers.