Hampshire farming costs: Nitrogen bill fertilises verbal explosion

I VERY rarely hear Mrs Prince use bad language, the exception is generally in relation to my dog which, even after 11 years of education, still simply cannot resist rolling in fox droppings at every opportunity.

However, last week the mobile network airwaves were shaken by language strong enough to stop me dead in my tracks. My first thought was that I had her car keys in my pocket or, even worse, had forgotten to put out the recycling bin (both of which I do have  a tendency to be guilty of) but no, the reason for the anger was an eye-wateringly high fertilizer invoice.

The price of nitrogen fertilizer rose from under £300 per tonne in June 2021 to more than £800 per tonne last year. Despite an easing of the price this spring the invoice received was still over three times the cost it would have been prior to 2021.

READ MORE HERE: Hampshire farmer warns about impact of restrictions on migrant workers

As crop sale prices are now dropping back to pre-2021 levels it looks as if every component cost of producing a tonne of grain has increased very significantly but the end product will be worth no more. Add to this fact the fact that every farmer’s subsidy support will be severely reduced this year as basic payments dwindle during the switch to new schemes and the economics of this year’s harvest, as young people say, a going to be a bit “hectic”.

Perhaps in order to take their minds off the forthcoming harvest many farms are opening their doors on June 11 for Open Farm Sunday. The LEAF Open Farm Sun­day is farming’s annu­al open day and has, since 2006, offer­ed the oppor­tu­ni­ty for vis­i­tors to get clos­er to farm­ing and the peo­ple that farm. If you have the time, I would urge you to have a look at farmsunday.org – and maybe even arrange a visit. These opportunities I believe are becoming more precious as fewer people are directly involved in farming and make a great way to re-connect to the land and food production.

Apart from those people who are opening fertilizer invoices, I notice that the combination of longer days and greener countryside seems to improve everyone’s mood to some extent. Spring has sprung and everything generally seems a bit cheerier, another reason for getting out and visiting the countryside. Whether it is simply a walk along a footpath or an organised farm visit, get out there and make the most of our beautiful country.

As I write this I am looking out of the window at a bright yellow horizon as the oil seed rape is in full flower, helping reveal patches where the seed hasn’t taken possibly due to waterlogged ground or attack by pests no longer deterred by banned chemicals, and beyond is a shimmering sea of winter barley coming into ear and much of which will become tasty pints or ales to revive us in colder times.

May is the month when I believe so much of the central southern England countryside looks at its most attractive. The only detraction - knowing exactly how much every tonne of that pretty horizon has cost to produce!