European Union fertilizer producers will get continued and undisrupted access to natural gas at the discretion of member states if the region faces a fuel shortage, according to Bloomberg, citing a Nov. 9 statement by the European Commission (EC).
The EC said it could release €450 million from its agriculture reserve in the 2023 fiscal year for farmers affected by high input costs, according to Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture. It said fertilizer prices rose by as much 149% in September 2022, compared with the same period a year earlier. It said farmers are deferring and reducing their fertilizer purchases, which risks lowering yields and raising food prices.
The EC also said it would push for a more efficient use of nutrients and will support investments in renewable hydrogen and biomethane for ammonia production.