Nitrogen fertiliser is a key input for pasture and fodder production in dairy businesses. In the last eight months we have seen urea prices increase on farm by around 80%. Is it too costly to keep applying with urea prices over $1000 per tonne? 

This month we are joined by Neil Moss, director and Senior Consultant with Scibus who consults to dairy and beef producers in NSW and interstate. We touch on some of the factors affecting pricing and availability of fertiliser and look at how the numbers stack up for applying urea to your pastures and maize crops. We also talk about some alternative sources of nutrients and provide some food for thought on future nitrogen use and pasture species to be considered on farm.

Useful resources related to this podcast:

Podcast - RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness – Buy Nitrogen Now or Wait? A Global View for those that are keen to understand more on drivers of the drivers behind the current fertiliser supply and demand situation.

Dairy Australia’s Fert$mart Nitrogen Pocket Guide

Fertiliser for Pastures 2021 (Local Land Services publication) containing nutrient analysis of synthetic and organic material such as poultry litter, dairy effluent and dairy manure.

The dairy business Report – Tocal Dairy. 

This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit

It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services

Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]

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NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page

DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed

NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter

Transcript here 

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The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.