The U.K.’s Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has urged the country’s government to give the fertilizer sector the opportunity to reduce ammonia emissions through an industry-led commitment, based around the principles of Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE), which it said will involve demonstrating delivery through a combination of FACTS Qualified Advice and farm assurance auditing.
The agri-trade organization believes a total ban on the sale and use of solid urea fertilizer – an option currently being considered by the U.K. government – is unwarranted.
“This industry-led approach would have many advantages over banning a nitrogen source from use,” said AIC’s Chief Executive Robert Sheasby. “With an end goal to achieve UK 2030 emissions targets, and mindful of all that livestock farmers will need to do on the manure management front, the fertilizer sector is stepping up to deliver its part in curbing ammonia emissions from urea-based fertilizer.”
The country’s National Farmers Union (NFU) also has urged Defra to adopt an “industry-regulated approach” to solid urea fertilizer rather than a total ban, which it said would have a “huge impact” on farmers’ ability to produce food (GM Jan. 29, p. 31).
The U.K. government on Jan. 26 closed its window for responses to its consultation seeking views on how the country’s farmers can reduce ammonia emissions from the use or sale of solid urea.
The consultation, launched on Nov. 3, presented three options: a total ban on solid urea fertilizers; a requirement to stabilize them with the addition of a urease inhibitor, a chemical that helps to slow the conversion of urea to ammonium (GM Jan 15, p. 36; Nov. 6, 2020); or restricting the spreading of solid urea fertilizers so that they can only be used from Jan. 15 to March 31.
The preferred option of the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is overseeing the consultation, is the complete ban on the use or sale of solid urea fertilizers.
AIC is the U.K. trade association representing the agricultural supply chain sectors of arable marketing, crop protection and agronomy, feed, fertilizer, and seeds.