Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 53: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her Department's officials are testing fertilisers for adequate nitrate urea levels on importations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7110/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is the designated Control Authority responsible for implementing EU and national fertiliser legislation. Under this legislation products placed on the market must comply with specifications laid down in the relevant legislation and must be in accordance with the declared nutrient contents on the labelling.

Compliance with the relevant legislation is verified by sampling and chemical analysis for nutrient contents. To this end, a sampling programme is drawn up yearly by the Department, which is based on risk assessment. Sampling takes place nationwide at importers' premises, which are mainly situated near ports and consist of eighteen sampling locations. The number of fertiliser samples taken yearly is approximately 270.

The State Laboratory analyses the samples for plant nutrient contents. Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are chemically analysed and if they are within tolerances laid down in the relevant legislation, they are deemed to be in compliance. Levels of compliance have been most satisfactory over the years.

Mention is made in the parliamentary question of nitrate urea, which are two distinct separate forms of nitrogen. The third form of nitrogen marketed is ammonia. Urea which contains 46% nitrogen is mainly marketed as a fertiliser in its own right. Without exception this product was found to be compliant which is to be expected given the nature of the product. The nitrate form of nitrogen on the market is available in products such as calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and in nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium (NPK) compounds as ammonium nitrate. Likewise, results of analyses of these products for their total nitrogen content from both forms of nitrogen indicate that is excellent.