The Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) warns Quebecers that the smell of manure will be felt more this year due to the war in Ukraine which has caused fertilizer prices to skyrocket.
• Read also: War in Ukraine: the UPA fears a domino effect on the price of many products
“We have no choice but to turn to manure and spread more of it to save on fertilizers. So, yes, it is likely to smell more this spring, this summer and even this fall, ”warns Martin Caron, president of the UPA.
Although it sounds far-fetched, it was the war in Ukraine that caused the price of fertilizers in the fields to skyrocket. Mr. Caron explains that Russia is one of the main suppliers of these products on the planet.
However, since March 4, the Russian government has recommended that its producers suspend their fertilizer exports. This is the reason for the price spike.
The cost of nitrogen fertilizer, the most popular with farmers, was around $630 per tonne in Quebec in 2021. But this year, according to the UPA, it has more than doubled to $1,500 per tonne.
“It is of great concern to our farmers in Quebec who are suffering the impact of this conflict. We see that the war between Ukraine and Russia has direct consequences for us too,” worries Martin Caron.
In this context, the president of the UPA argues that to avoid using too much fertilizer, his farmers have turned to manure to optimize growth in their crop.
“Before, we only spread manure in the fall. But there, with the inflation of all the prices and the geopolitical conflicts, the fertilizer is too expensive. We must therefore expect that it smells more strongly of manure because we will henceforth maximize this resource less [coûteuse] during the spring, summer and fall,” notes Mr. Caron.
The president of the UPA recalls that the manure is put in the fields to feed Quebecers.
“We spread manure in good practice. People support our local agriculture and know that we are doing this for their good. Our goal is to have as many foods from Quebec on our shelves in grocery stores. For that, you need harmonious cooperation with the farmers,” says Martin Caron.
The latter specifies that its members intend to “work hard” to minimize odors and that they are aware of the inconvenience.
Photo courtesy, UPA
Martin Caron, UPA President
Mr. Caron, himself a farmer and farmer, invites Quebecers to close their windows during manure spreading.
He also says that producers have already planned a system to reduce odors in their neighbors by installing, among other things, “windbreak hedges” using plants.