Spain: Producers concerned about rising fertilizer prices
The price of agricultural diesel has experienced an increase of nearly 30%, which is causing a significant escalation in the costs of the primary sector in the Balearic Islands.
The weekly report prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment analyzes the economic impact of the war in Iran, revealing a clear inflationary process. However, in recent weeks there has been some restraint in price increases, partly due to the implementation of fiscal measures and a temporary ceasefire.
Regarding agricultural diesel (Gas Oil B), the report includes data on price trends at 62 gas stations in Mallorca, including two affiliated with cooperatives. It also analyzes data from two stations in Menorca, four in Ibiza (one managed by the Santa Eulària Cooperative), and one in Formentera. Nationally, the price of Gas Oil B increased from €1.134/liter at the end of February to €1.473/liter on March 30, peaking at €1.507/liter in the middle of the month. This represents a total increase of 29.9%.
In the Balearic Islands, the highest price for diesel (Gasóleo B) was recorded on March 16, reaching €1.609/l. By the end of the month, the price had fallen slightly to €1.562/l, which is 8% higher than the price on the Spanish mainland. However, prices vary between the islands: while Ibiza has an average of €1.38/l, Mallorca is in line with the Balearic average, and Menorca and Formentera reach values close to €1.787/l.
The Regional Ministry highlights the efforts of cooperative gas stations, which have managed to maintain prices below the conventional market rate of €1.394/l for restricted sales, representing a savings of 11.72%. Although costs stabilized at the end of March after reaching high levels on the 27th, the trend indicates that prices will remain high in the short term.
Regarding animal feed, the increase in the cost of raw materials has been particularly significant. For example, the price of corn rose from €218.63/t in February to €360.11/t at the end of March, representing a 64.7% increase, while barley rose by 58.8%. Despite these sharp increases in key ingredients, only one of the three main suppliers of compound feed in the Balearic Islands increased its prices by between 10% and 15% by the end of March.
The Director General of Agriculture highlighted that the leading supplier was able to keep prices frozen for the past 40 days thanks to its proactive management of raw material reserves. However, this increase is expected to be passed on to consumers starting in April. He stated that, for now, the price hikes are more pronounced in the pork and poultry sectors, while ruminants and horses have been less affected. Nevertheless, livestock farmers who purchase products like alfalfa directly have experienced significant increases, reaching up to 90% for this input.
ming weeks.
Fuente: noudiari.es
