European agriculture ministers will discuss the explosively rising prices of gas and fertilizers on Monday and Tuesday. The topic was added to the agenda of the Agriculture Council. This was confirmed by Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski after talks in Warsaw with Polish Minister Grzegorz Puda.
On Monday and Tuesday, the agriculture ministers hold their regular monthly meeting in Luxembourg. "We will analyze what we can do to ease this situation," Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski replied to questions.
In the Netherlands, the horticulture sector and greenhouse cultivation are particularly affected by the high gas prices. The aluminum factory of Aldel in Delfzijl has also already been shut down.
At a press conference, it was pointed out that the current situation is not only a disaster for farmers but also a major threat to consumers who may face food price increases. Most EU countries are dealing with similar problems.
The rise in fertilizer prices applies to all European countries, and in some countries production has already been halted. The Polish minister called this a bad signal for farmers, as he fears illegal fertilizers will appear on the market.
Commissioner J. Wojciechowski reminded that the "farm to fork" strategy included an ambitious plan to reduce fertilizer use by 20%. According to him, there are countries in the EU that have drastically reduced fertilizer use without reducing production. Precision agriculture also has a future.
The threat of fertilizer prices presents a dilemma for the EU. Brussels has several options. For example, it could suspend or completely lift the anti-dumping duties imposed in 2019 on fertilizers from the USA, Russia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The EU could also lift its ban on the import and transit of potash from Belarus.
An earlier EU investigation had found firm evidence of "dumping" of cheap American and Russian fertilizers, which harmed the EU fertilizer industry. This industry already pays very high prices for carbon credits, making it difficult to compete internationally.
According to EU farmers, prices for liquid ammonium nitrate have doubled since anti-dumping duties were introduced. The latest official EU figures show that the price of urea rose by 79.1% in the past year (the average price of all fertilizers rose by 72%).