ICMSA says EU “doesn’t seem to understand the scale of the fertiliser challenge” – Rumoured funding allocated will work out at €67 per farmer in CAP

Commenting on the scale of the challenge facing farmers in terms of fertiliser prices, the President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that based on today’s Fertiliser Action Plan, it was painfully obvious that the EU Commission does not understand the scale of the problem facing farmers and the implications of those problems.

Mr. Drennan said that the plan most resembled a ‘mix ‘n’ match’ of previous announcements and was without any clear idea of a possible solution.  He said that farmers will be hugely disappointed with the plan and that disappointment will come to be shared by general consumers as food prices inevitably climb to reflect the lower volumes of production resulting from the lack of affordable fertiliser.

“The problem could not be more clear or stark: EU farm output prices have fallen considerably since this time last year while the price of fertiliser has increased substantially.  There are even pressing questions about the availability of fertiliser for 2027 and that’s going to ‘knock-on’ to production volumes next year and possibly expose consumers to increased imports of non-EU food produced to lower sustainability and consumer health standards”, said Mr. Drennan.

“Just to put the figure allocated to this Fertiliser Action Plan in context; while the Report mentions “exceptional support”, there are figures set out with the sum of €400m being bandied about. That may sound like a huge amount of funding but based on 5.9m farmers across the EU receiving aid under the CAP, this would deliver a payment of €67 each.  As is by now usual with EU Commission communications relating to farmers, the words “simplify” and “cut unnecessary red tape” are mentioned, but farmers now treat these phrases as the jokes they have repeatedly proved to be.”

Mr. Drennan said that the availability of fertiliser is both a short- and long-term issue with two major market shocks since 2020.  

“Farmers were expecting some decisive action in today’s Plan and are disappointed that – not alone has the EU not come forward with a solution – they don’t seem to have understood the scale of the fertiliser challenge or the consequences that will flow directly from that”, he concluded.

Ends        19 May 2026

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office