The last few years have been very hard for farmers and consumers in the UK. The price of fertiliser, difficult weather, and labour shortages have all had an impact on food supplies and prices. It has put more pressure on household budgets, with the weekly shop seeming to keep increasing. But, is there an end in sight? Will the economic outlook get better soon? Let’s have a look.

The price of fertilisers

One of the main issues was the high cost of fertiliser. Covid 19 and the war in Ukraine had a hugely negative impact on supplies. As a result, prices went up massively, hitting record numbers.

Luckily, the costs are starting to come down. According to Rabobank, they will fall to traditional levels. Urea is already below the historic rates. Others, such as nitrogen, phosphate, and potash are also heading in the right direction. The hope is they will return to where they were three years ago.

While it will be great to see fertiliser prices come down, many will likely remain above 2019 levels. It will require more work to get them back down to these values.

Food prices

While the drop in the price of fertilisers is good news, it doesn’t mean food prices will come down right away. It will take time for the lower prices to get through the value chain. So, UK consumers will have to wait a bit longer with the high prices.

The thing to keep in mind here is the current crop was grown when fertilisers were very expensive. So, the price can’t come down right away. If it did, it would mean that it was not covering the money that went in to producing the food.

While some prices will start to come down in the future when we are on to crops grown with cheaper fertilisers, others may remain high. This is due to other issues like labour shortages as well as high energy and fuel costs. Some will also need to remain at higher levels so farmers can continue to make fair money and achieve the standards people expect.

Do you want to order fertiliser?

JS Hubbuck Ltd has been dealing with fertilisers since we first began trading. In the late 40s we specialised in spreading lime. Since then we have become a reliable specialist that offers a full range of agricultural items. This includes animal feeds, clothes, boots, and more.

Fertiliser is still the main pillar of our service though. We supply quality products across a massive part of England and most of Scotland. Deliveries are reliable, and we can cater for most needs.

So, if you want to place an order or need any help, please speak to us. We can even work with co-operatives.