Johnson accused of failing to grasp fertiliser crisis impact

Prime minister Boris Johnson has been accused of a lack of understanding of the serious cost of production issues facing British farmers, who have been hit with exorbitant fuel and fertiliser costs.

Mr Johnson faced questions from senior MPs at the Commons liaison committee on Wednesday 30 March on “Partygate” police fines, the cost of living, the Ukraine war and the impact it was having on farmers and others.

Neil Parish, Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, and a member of the committee, told Mr Johnson that UK farmers needed help with their costs.

See also: Reprieve for autumn muckspreading as fertiliser prices bite

Mr Parish, who also farms in Somerset, said the invasion of Ukraine by Russia combined with rising gas prices had sent the cost of fertilisers “through the roof”.

So @neil_parish passionately pleads the case for getting both U.K. fertiliser plants going to help with input prices and boost food production.

@BorisJohnson replies by calling him “old muck spreader” and goes on to argue why we mustn’t abandon hydrocarbons industry. https://t.co/uK7WBSgOWh pic.twitter.com/46lkGRmQ3o

— Save British Farming 🇬🇧 (@SaveBritishFood) March 31, 2022

“Fertiliser now costs four times more than it did a year ago at £1,000/t. All of this has a knock-on effect on the cost of food. The farmers cannot absorb these costs alone,” Mr Parish told the PM.

“All farming needs fertiliser – livestock, dairy, cereals, vegetables and even salad production by hydroponics here in London… but we only produce 40% of our own.”

Mr Parish wanted to find out what the government was doing to reduce the UK’s dependence on Russian imports of fertiliser.

He said the UK has two fertiliser plants (both are owned by CF Fertilisers in Cheshire and Teesside), but only one is still open (Teesside).

CF Fertilisers is running a scaled-down operation in Billingham on Teesside after receiving a government bailout last year, when it became uneconomic to run the plant due to rising gas prices.

The company shut down its second site at Ince, Cheshire.

“If we can contain fertiliser costs caused by events abroad, we can boost home production and deliver more stable prices for our consumers and help with world food supplies,” added Mr Parish.

Fertiliser plant mothballed

Mr Parish asked Mr Johnson if the government, as a short-term solution, could “do everything possible” to reopen the second fertiliser plant (in Cheshire).

“Which one? Where is it?” replied the PM.

“They are up in the North of England. One is mothballed at the moment,” replied Mr Parish. “Can we not get that fertiliser out there? Because if we want to produce good food, we need to do it now.”

As Mr Parish was speaking, Mr Johnson quipped, “old muck spreader”, which seemed to be a private joke between the pair.

“Neil, I want to spread the good stuff over the fields of this country as passionate as anybody and you’ve gotta do that,” said Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson said 36% of the UK’s diesel is sourced from Russia.

“If we’re going to end our dependence on Russian diesel for British tractors and farm vehicles, we’ve gotta think practically about where else it’s coming from,” he added.

But Mr Johnson stopped short of committing to reopening the Cheshire fertiliser plant.

“Now that I’m alerted to the need to get the second plant going, I don’t wish to commit that I will wave a magic wand and open this fertilser plant… but I will jolly well find out what I can do. I will take a look,” the PM said.

Social media reaction

Farmers took to social media to accuse the PM of showing a blasé reaction towards the fuel and fertiliser price crisis – and some warned it would be no laughing matter if it led to a food shortage.

On Twitter, Lincolnshire Steve Elnor commented that the PM had a “condescending attitude towards Neil Parish and our industry”.

Fellow Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward said the PM was right to point out that farmers need better business advice.

But he added: “I would like him to advise me how to produce food profitably with nitrogen fertiliser at £1,000/t and tractor fuel at £1/litre.”

Liz Webster, founder of campaign group Save British Food, said: “The government is using net zero as an excuse to destroy British farming and shrink its size.

“I think the panacea will be the US trade deal and more food coming over from Brazil and other countries.”

In October, Mr Johnson was accused of failing to respect pig farmers who were being forced to kill tens of thousands of healthy pigs due to a shortage of qualified butchers.