The National Farmers’ Union has today (10 June) unveiled a new Fertiliser Resilience Plan, as it calls for government intervention to help farmers manage rising fertiliser costs due to disruption from conflict in the Middle East.
The NFU said UK agriculture remains highly exposed to global energy and fertiliser markets, with disruption around the Strait of Hormuz contributing to higher input costs.
According to the organisation, fertiliser prices in April were almost 40% higher than pre-conflict levels, with urea reaching £635 per tonne and imported ammonium nitrate hitting £535 per tonne.
The union is urging the government to introduce a support mechanism if imported ammonium nitrate reaches a trigger point of £500 per tonne. Under the proposal, growers would be able to claim support covering up to 70% of additional fertiliser costs, capped at £50,000.
The NFU is also calling for the delay of the planned Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), arguing that its introduction could increase fertiliser costs and add further pressure to food inflation.
Additional recommendations include greater market transparency and enhanced guidance on nutrient management, with the aim of helping growers make informed purchasing and crop production decisions.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said affordability of fertiliser for the 2027 growing season would be critical, warning that if costs remain high, farmers could face difficult decisions about planting and nutrient application.
“The increasing costs of fertiliser, energy and fuel in the run-up to this year’s harvest has already made things incredibly challenging for farm businesses,” said Bradshaw.
“While the 2026 harvest is yet to begin, farming is all about looking ahead and many will already be turning their attention to making decisions about next year’s crops.
“Fertiliser for 2027 must be affordable. If it is not, some farmers and growers could be left facing incredibly tough decisions about whether to try to grow a crop with reduced fertiliser applications, or whether to plant at all. It is vital both industry and government take the necessary actions now to help ease this strain.
“In the long term, it all comes down to resilience. We can’t keep being collateral damage to global politics. We need to find ways to build fairness, transparency and support into our domestic food production system so we can continue to feed 70 million people three times a day.”
The proposals come as farmers begin planning for next year’s crops and ahead of the NFU’s #YourHarvest campaign highlighting the contribution of UK arable farming to food production.
Last month, Food and Drink Federation’s latest State of Industry report found confidence among UK food and drink manufacturers had fallen to its lowest level since the energy crisis, following fears that disruption from the Middle East war could lead to food prices rising further.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
