McCormack demands CCPC investigation into “jaw-dropping” price-gouging on fertiliser prices
The President of ICMSA, Pat McCormack, has called for an immediate and through investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) into what Mr McCormack said he had no hesitation in describing as “out- and- out price gouging” on the prices charged to farmers for fertiliser this year and last.
Speaking after a sitting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine that heard submissions on disparities in the cost of fertiliser, Mr McCormack said that the differences between the prices paid by Irish farmers by comparison to even Northern Irish farmers were “jaw-dropping” and beyond any rational explanation other than the opportunity to overcharge and price-gouge.
He said it was as clearcut a case as could be recalled and it was absolutely incumbent upon the state agencies specifically charged and funded to deal with this kind of malpractice to investigate what went on and to produce a full report with consequences to follow.
“As far as ICMSA is concerned this is a ‘ Test Case’; it’s an opportunity for all those politicians who constantly reassure us of their commitment to fairness and understanding of the squeeze that farmers find themselves in, to ‘front up’ and order the CCPC to do its job. Based on what we all heard yesterday, there are jaw-dropping instances of profiteering and price-gouging to be found all over particularly the southern part of the country. Let’s just see if any of those very vociferous commentators demanding more and more regulation and supervision of farmers can find it in themselves to support our call for an immediate and through investigation into this open and in plain sight wave of price-gouging,” said Mr McCormack.
The ICMSA President said that it was obvious even six months ago that Irish fertiliser prices had been “quietly and deliberately decoupled” from the international energy prices that we were assured was its basis.
“We can actually track the moment when, specifically, gas prices begin to fall down while our fertiliser prices remain inflated. And even allowing for the Co-ops’ determination to sell their stocks at the inflated prices that they had paid for them, we can still see the supplies of fertiliser coming in at the lower prices but being sold to farmers at the ‘old’ higher prices that spiked immediately post-invasion. If here are rational and logical explanations for this, then let’s hear them. The people that must get to the bottom of this are CCPC – and that’s exactly what we expect them to do, forthwith,” he said.
The ICMSA President said that even before any investigation began, Minister McConalogue must signal some understanding of what had occurred by revisiting his bizarre decision to exclude dairy farmers from the 2023 Fodder Scheme.
“That just has to be reversed; it was a gratuitous kick at dairy farmers anyway, but in light of the official indifference on fertiliser prices and falling milk prices, it needs to be reversed immediately,” he concluded.