Rising Fertiliser Prices: What It’s Really Costing Your Farm — and How to Fight Back

If you’ve been farming for more than five minutes, you’ll know one thing for sure — fertiliser never stays the same price for long. But what we’ve seen in the last few years has gone well beyond the usual ups and downs.

Right now, nitrogen costs are not just “high” — they’re unpredictable, politically sensitive, and increasingly shaped by forces outside your control. And whether you’re buying now or holding off till later in the year, the financial squeeze is real.

So what’s it really costing your farm? And what can you do about it?

How Much Are You Really Spending on Nitrogen?

Let’s crunch some simple numbers:

• Urea at £400/t = ~£0.87 per kg of N

• Apply 200 kg N/ha = £174/ha, just on nitrogen

• Add in haulage, spreading, and potential overapplication losses, and you’re easily pushing £200/ha

Now multiply that across 100 hectares. That’s £20,000. And if prices spike again — as they did in 2022 — that figure can rise to £30,000 or more without warning.

For most farms, that’s not just a line on a spreadsheet — it’s a big hit to the bottom line. 

🚚 What’s Driving the Cost?

Quick refresher from our last blog:

• Middle East instability disrupting gas supply (key for N production)

• Russian restrictions reducing global availability

• EU’s CBAM tax on the horizon, set to increase import costs

• Tight shipping lanes and general economic uncertainty

• Put simply: it’s not just about the cost of nitrogen anymore — it’s about the cost of risk.

Bio-N: A Smart Way to Lower Costs Without Lowering Output

This is where Bio-N starts to make profound financial sense.

Instead of pouring more cash into synthetic N, Bio-N lets your crop pull more nitrogen from the air — using microbes, not manufactured inputs. It works alongside your existing programme, meaning you can reduce rates, not risk.

⚙️Here’s the maths:

• Bio-N from £27.50/ha

• Growers often reduce bagged N by at least 40–60 kg/ha while maintaining yield.

• That’s ~£35–50 saved per hectare (at current urea prices)

So, on 100 ha:

• Cost of Bio-N: £2,750

• Potential fertiliser savings: £5,000+

• And you haven’t had to sacrifice a thing on yield or crop health

And unlike fertiliser, Bio-N isn’t pegged to international gas markets or shipping routes. You know the cost upfront — and you don’t need a hedge fund to afford it.

Real-World Returns

We now have growers using Bio-N across cereals, vegetables, and grass — and many of them are already scaling up their operations. Not just for the savings, but for the simplicity. Lower input costs. Fewer delivery headaches. Better soil health.

Some are using it to wean off high nitrogen rates altogether. Others are just building a buffer. But the direction of travel is clear: less reliance on expensive bagged N, and more value from every hectare.

🌱 Let’s Make Fertiliser Work For You — Not Against You

We’re not here to say never use nitrogen again — we’re here to say use it smarter.

With Bio-N in the mix, you’re not just plugging a gap. You’re investing in a more resilient, profitable, and predictable way to farm — whatever the world throws at you next.

Want to try it for yourself?

Drop us a message, ask for a farm trial, or get help working out the savings on your system.

📞 01366 384899📧 info@soilfertilityservices.co.uk

Bio-N: Practical biology. Measurable savings. Real flexibility.