Temporary ban on fertiliser sales underlines agri sector's import dependency

The temporary ban on the sale of fertiliser underlines how dependent Irish agriculture is on imports.

That’s according to Kate Carmody, an organic farmer from Beale, who's been in the sector for almost 40 years.

Kerry Agribusiness has suspended the sale of fertiliser for a week as a result of the Ukraine crisis.

Kate Carmody says there are greener alternatives to chemical fertiliser which we need to start moving away from.

She says the crisis shows while we may export a lot of beef and dairy, we import most of our horticulture and a lot of our cereals.

Kerry County Councillor Dan McCarthy is manager of Kenmare Mart.

He says the demand for fertiliser is particularly high at this time of year.

This is his advice to farmers.