As the fertiliser crisis bites, farmers take drastic steps

Here’s how some European farmers are trying to cope with the worsening crisis

Many of Europe’s fertiliser plants have closed as Russia’s war in Ukraine squeezes supplies of gas that nitrogen fertiliser is derived from.

Ditching oilseed crops for peas, preparing to cut herds and splashing out on tractor gadgets. That’s what European farmers are doing to try to cope with a worsening fertiliser crisis.

The lengths they are going to in order to apply less of the nutrients vital for growing staples like wheat and rapeseed highlights the continued threat the crunch poses to food output. Many of Europe’s fertiliser plants have closed as Russia’s war in Ukraine squeezes supplies of gas that nitrogen fertiliser is derived from.