Farmers across the Atlantic region in Canada say their operating costs have increased significantly with fertilizer imports from Russia under sanction, and some are looking for alternatives, according to a recent CBC News report.
“We’re pretty frustrated with the whole thing this year, it’s really stressful,” said Brian Adams, owner of Hilldale Potato Inc., in New Denmark, near Grand Falls in New Brunswick. Adams said he paid about $700 per tonne of fertilizer last year and is being quoted about $1,300 per tonne this year.
“All costs are up this year, machine repairs, fertilizer or sprays,” he said. “It’s going to bring our cost of production up dramatically.” Adams estimates that his operating costs overall will increase by over 60 per cent this year.
The Atlantic provinces rely heavily on fertilizer imports from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Fertilizer Canada CEO Karen Proud said about 85 to 90 per cent of all nitrogen fertilizers used in the eastern provinces come from Russia.
In Prince Edward Island, the potato board reported that farmers are seeing fertilizer prices increase by 75 per cent to 100 per cent this year. Because of this, farmers in the region have had to look for alternative solutions to common fertilizers or limit their intake.
Source: CBC News via Yahoo! News. Read the full story here
Photo credit: Wayne Thibodeau/CBC
