MPs who sit on a parliamentary committee have expressed concerns about the supply and high price of fertiliser in the UK.
The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has written Defra Secretary George Eustice on the issue, asking for an urgent government response.
Months of high prices, with nitrogen fertiliser costing three times as much as it did this time last year, is having a major impact on arable growers across the country.
According to AHDB, fertiliser prices have increased by 180% year-on-year. In April 2021, the price was £281/tonne, but a year on, the price is £785/tonne.
The crisis comes in the wake of the war in Ukraine and a decision by a key UK producer not to re-open a production facility in Cheshire.
Dr Neil Hudson MP for Penrith and The Border, and member of the EFRA Committee, said he was 'very concerned'.
"I brought this issue urgently to our Commons EFRA Select Committee and we have now written to the Defra Secretary asking for an urgent government response.
"This is pivotal to our nation’s farmers and food producers and also has major implications because of the need for carbon dioxide in abattoirs and the food and drink sector.
"Rocketing prices of fertiliser are a real challenge for farmers in Cumbria and across the UK," he added.
"For food security and animal welfare reasons we need Government to make sure we are resilient in this area.”
Earlier this month, the NFU warned that growers had no confidence in purchasing inputs due to a lack of transparency in the fertiliser market.
The union had urged the government and industry to build more transparency in the market to drive resilience and bolster UK food security.
