8.11 Fertiliser and Lime Sales

The CSO in recent years have issued a release containing data on mineral fertiliser sales, the nutrient content of mineral fertiliser sold in Ireland, and lime sales. The data on fertiliser sales and nutrient content of fertiliser sales are based on the crop year, which runs from October to September. Data on lime sales refer to the calendar year. While most of the fertilisers sold are used in agriculture, fertilisers may also be used for non-agricultural purposes, such as in golf clubs or private gardens, but the volume used would be only a very small proportion of the total fertiliser sales.

Fertilisers are added to soil to provide crops with nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients enhance crop production but can also be lost from agricultural soil to groundwater, surface water and air, contributing to environmental pollution. Lime is a soil conditioner which is used to regulate the acidity of soil. Applying lime to soil leads to carbon dioxide emissions from the carbon content of the lime. However, as soil acidity is a factor in fertiliser efficiency, applying lime to soil can reduce requirements for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers. This can result in a reduction in pollution, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions arising from Nitrogen-containing fertilisers.

According to the CSO Fertiliser Sales 2022, fertiliser sales fell by 18% in 2022. The nitrogen (N) content of fertilisers sold in 2022 was 14% lower than in 2021 at 343,193 tonnes of nutrient. The phosphorus (P) content of fertilisers sold was down 26% on 2021 at 34,240 tonnes, while the potassium (K) content was down 24% at 93,614 tonnes.

Tonnes of

Nutrient

450,000

Figure 8.4 Nutrient Content of Fertiliser Sales by Nutrient (N, P, K), 2000-2022

400,000

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K)

Nitrogen (N)

Source: CSO

The nitrogen content of fertilisers sold in Ireland was 407,598 tonnes in 2000. It fell to its lowest level of the period 2000-2022 in 2011 at 295,795 tonnes, while it was highest in 2018 at 408,495 tonnes. Phosphorus content was at its highest level of the period 2000-2022 in 2000 at 49,267 tonnes and was lowest in 2009 at 20,231 tonnes. Potassium content was at its highest level in 2021 at 122,922 tonnes, marginally above sales in 2000, while in the intervening 20 years sales were lower each year. In 2009 potassium sales were just 52,403 tonnes while in 2022 sales were 93,614 tonnes.

While it is a positive move that fertiliser sales fell in 2022 some of that drop may have been influenced by the record high prices. As can be seen in the chart, fertiliser sales tended to drop over the first decade of this century but have tended to increase over the past decade.

Lime sales were at 832,700 tonnes at the start of this century and have varied considerably over the years dropping by up to 38% but increasing by up to 125% from one year to the next. However, since 2019 when limes sales were 762,867 tonnes, they have increased each year until 2022, when sales have reached 1,386,915 tonnes.

Lime sales in 2022 were a record 1.4 million tonnes, the largest quantity of any year since 2000 and the second year that lime sales have exceeded 1.3 million tonnes. This compares to annual average sales on 0.8 million tonnes over the previous 21 years.

Tonnes

1,400,000

Figure 8.5 Lime Sales, 2000-2022

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

Source: CSO

Figure from page 271