I thank Deputy O'Donoghue for the question. The Government fully recognises the importance of the horticultural sector to the economy and its contribution to food security in Ireland. My Department is closely monitoring developments regarding input costs. The current conflict in the Middle East is putting upward pressure on energy and fertiliser prices. The Strait of Hormuz is currently closed, leading to delays in the transportation of fertilisers. It has been estimated that 25% to 30% of global nitrogen fertiliser exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Agriculture in the EU as a whole is vulnerable to shocks in the availability and price of fertiliser due to limited internal production capacity and a reliance on imports. Ireland does not produce fertilisers and therefore is exposed to market shifts. It is too early to assess the full impact of current input price pressures on horticultural production systems and, in turn, on farmer margins. The impact will depend on how long the disruption lasts, whether physical energy production infrastructure is damaged, and how secondary markets respond. My Department is meeting with the fertiliser importers this week and will continue to monitor the situation closely. My Department provides a range of supports to growers in the horticulture sector through a number of schemes, including the scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector, the EU producer organisation scheme for the fruit and vegetable sector and the schemes of investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture. The Government is fully committed to the Irish horticulture sector. The National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 sets out a clear vision to grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability and provides a roadmap for the sector to achieve this potential. My Department is working collaboratively with stakeholders to progress all key strategic actions in the national strategy for horticulture.
Sentiment score: 0.09
Deputy O'Donoghue is so correct in everything he says. If we take the events of last week, one of our highly respected carrot producers went into liquidation. That is a situation I, the Department, and the Government find very concerning. It drives home now more than ever before that the customers - the people who go into shops - should be looking to try to buy Irish produce. We are better at producing our goods than anyone else. Our growers are better than anyone else but it is up to us. It is like the local post office: if you do not use it, you lose it. It is the same with our vegetables. Of course the geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East is going to put unreal pressure on energy and fertiliser prices. The price of natural gas and oil are key components in fertiliser production. The national fertiliser database import figures show fertiliser stocks increased during quarter 4 of 2025, in advance of the introduction of CBAM, which stands to the sector in terms of supply in the early months of this year.
Sentiment score: 0.13
What we are hoping for is that the situation will not be a repeat of 2022.
Sentiment score: 0.42
The Government will, of course, continuously assess the situation and try to respond in the most proactive and helpful way we can. It is too early to assess the full impact of increased energy and fertiliser costs but any spike in those prices obviously will have an impact on farmers' margins. The impact on fertiliser price will depend on how long the disruption lasts, whether physical energy production infrastructure is damaged and how secondary markets respond. Ironically, the concerns relating to the price-raising effect of the CBAM regulation caused the Irish farming industry to purchase significant volumes of product in advance of its coming into full effect on 1 January. As a result, it is understood there may be sufficient for fertiliser stocks to last until mid-April. The national fertiliser database import figures show fertiliser stocks increased significantly during quarter 4 of 2025. That means there are reserves of fertiliser in the country. Many farmers thought ahead and have bought fertiliser already, meaning any fertiliser price shock may not be as acute as in the spring of 2022. The Deputy will recall that at that time, a pallet of fertiliser was like a pallet of gold because of the massive increase in price. We hope to be able to avoid a situation like that. If we look at the events overnight, the uncertainty that is there is something the Government can only follow and monitor. We will do our best to support the sector.
Sentiment score: 0.18