Fertiliser prices in Ireland rose by 11.6 per cent in the 12 months to January amid warnings that farmers and food producers are facing an incoming price spike as a result of the Iran conflict.
The latest snapshot of agricultural input prices from Central Statistics Office (CSO), published on Thursday, was compiled in advance of the US-Israel attacks on Iran, which have already caused energy prices to surge.
Fertiliser prices are heavily linked to the cost of natural gas, which is used in the production of nitrogen-based fertilisers, and the International Fertiliser Association is warning that the global fertiliser supply has “tightened and prices are rising” as a result of conflict in the Middle East.
Over the 12 months to January, the CSO said input prices increased across several categories: fertilisers (11.6 per cent), veterinary expenses (7.1 per cent) and electricity (4.6 per cent).
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Compared with January 2025, the CSO’s output price index fell by 6.6 per cent while the input price index rose by 2.1 per cent.
The most significant changes in the output prices – on an annual basis – were in milk (-27.3 per cent), cattle (+21.7 per cent), sheep (-13.9 per cent), and pigs (-13.9 per cent).
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The agency noted the largest change in input prices was in fertiliser prices.
Separately, China’s state-owned Sinofert on Thursday told customers not to speculate, hoard or drive up fertiliser prices during the spring planting season, the state-backed Securities Times reported.
The Iran war has shut down fertiliser plants in the region and disrupted key shipping routes, potentially tightening supplies to major importers just as farmers across the northern hemisphere prepare for spring planting. – Additional reporting by Reuters
