At around £500/t for new season 34.5%N, fertiliser prices are again prompting concern across the arable sector. Compared with this time last year, growers are facing roughly £150/t more for nitrogen, adding around £80/ha to the cost of growing winter feed wheat.
That increase is uncomfortable, and some businesses reduced rates this spring in response to rising costs. But cutting too far risks sacrificing yield and, where relevant, milling premiums that are already under pressure.
The key point is that nitrogen still broadly makes economic sense. Wheat prices have strengthened by about £20/t over the same period, which on a typical winter wheat crop equates to roughly £170/ha in extra revenue — comfortably offsetting the higher fertiliser bill.