Total sales of artificial fertiliser for land use were down 16% to June 2023 compared with the previous year.
The reduction comes after growth in artificial fertiliser sales in the previous two years.
Department of Agriculture figures show 909,000 tonnes of fertiliser was sold from October 2022 to June 2023, compared with 1.01 million tonnes in the same period the previous year, and 1.4m tonnes in the 2021 to 2022 period.
Fertiliser prices soared immediately after the start of the war in Ukraine, which did have an effect on sales.
Prices stabilised since then, however, fertiliser sales have continued to decline.
Mark Plunkett, a Training and Development Specialist with the Teagasc Signpost Programme, says it’s a positive step to a more sustainable approach to nutrient management.
