National Fertiliser Database
- Published on: 13 June 2022
- Last updated on: 12 March 2025
- National Fertiliser Database
- Fertiliser Economic Operators (FEO)
- Professional Fertiliser End User (FEU)
- Farmer Registering as Fertiliser Operator and/or End user
- Declaring Closing Stocks
- Application Programme Interfaces (API) Information
- Information Note and FAQ
- Legislation
- Consultative Committee
- Agendas
- Meeting Minutes
- Pre-legislative Scrutiny
- Fertiliser Product Catalogue
- User Guide Videos
National Fertiliser Database
The Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulations Act 2023 was signed by the President and became law on 11 July 2023. Secondary legislation was put in place to commence the provisions in the Act that relate to the establishment of a National Fertiliser Database (NFD), including registration of Fertiliser Economic Operators and Professional Fertiliser End Users and dates for data submission.
The database is being developed to:
- record fertiliser sales along the supply chain
- achieve better compliance with water quality and environmental ambitions
- help Ireland meet commitments to the European Commission arising from our 5th Nitrates Action Programme; and
- to simplify, in time, farmer’s reporting of fertiliser use under regulatory schemes and voluntary initiatives
Recording fertiliser sales to users within the NFD should encourage improved nutrient use efficiency on farms and support a reduction in fertiliser use in line with targets in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan.
The NFD will improve traceability in the fertiliser supply chain and the data will also inform future policy development regarding the use of chemical fertilisers and our national targets.
Secondary legislation provides the dates for when submission of data is required. The relevant timeline is as follows:
The timeline for the implementation of the provisions in the legislation is as follows:
| Date | Provision |
| 24 July | The day on which Part 3 of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023 comes into operation (Commencement Order Statutory Instrument) |
| Registration opens for Professional Fertiliser End Users (farmers, landscape gardeners, sport’s club) | |
| Registration opens for Fertiliser Economic Operators (manufacturers/blenders, merchants, importers) | |
| 1 September | Date from which a person entered in the Registers must submit information to the Minister for the purposes of section 7D (2) of the Fertilisers Feeding Stuffs and Mineral Mixtures Act 1955 (National Fertiliser Database Statutory Instrument) |
| Legislative requirements on the purchase/sale/import of fertiliser come into force. | |
| Date from which it is an offence to sell or purchase fertiliser without being registered. | |
| Date from which imports into the State must be notified to the National fertiliser Database (within 72 hours of import). | |
| Date from which all data on fertiliser transactions to be recorded. | |
| 14 September (23:59) | Declaration Date of Closing Stocks for Professional Fertiliser End Users. |
| 30 September (23:59) | Declaration Date of Closing Stocks for Fertiliser Economic Operators. |
| 15 October | Date by which Professional Fertiliser End Users and Fertiliser Economic Operators must submit closing stocks, including NIL stock where relevant, to the National Fertiliser Database. |
| 15 December | Date by which Fertiliser Economic Operators must submit September, October and November 2023 sales data to the National Fertiliser Database. |
| 15 January 2024 | Date by which Fertiliser Economic Operators must submit December 2023 sales data to the National Fertiliser Database. All monthly sales data from 1st December 2023 required by the 15th of the subsequent month. |
There are two ways in which a Co-op or Agri-merchant will be able to provide data:
1. The data can be uploaded through an Application Programming Interface (API), facilitating automatic upload of data from the Co-op or agri-merchant’s IT system directly to the National Fertiliser Database
2. The data can be entered manually through the department’s digital online service www.agfood.ie.
Farmers will submit the data manually through www.agfood.ie.
This website, which contains relevant information, including a list of frequently asked questions and videos on how to register and submit data, will be updated regularly over the coming weeks as new information becomes available.
Fertiliser Economic Operators (FEO)
Professional Fertiliser End User (FEU)
Farmer Registering as Fertiliser Operator and/or End user
Declaring Closing Stocks
Application Programme Interfaces (API) Information
Information Note and FAQ
Legislation
S.I. No. 377/2023 - Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023 (Part 3) (Commencement) Order 2023 :
NATIONAL FERTILISER DATABASE REGULATIONS 2023
Consultative Committee
A stakeholder consultative committee was established in April 2022 to facilitate communication between DAFM and all relevant stakeholders on the development of the database. This is a broad Committee consisting of all stakeholders involved in the distribution and use of fertiliser. It consists of:
- fertiliser industry (importers, manufacturers, wholesalers)
- fertiliser retailers - co-ops (ICOS) and independent agri-merchants (ACORN group)
- farm organisations (IFA, ICMSA, ICSA, INHFA, Irish Grain Growers Association, and Macra na Feirme)
- farm contractors
- farm advisers (Teagasc and the Agricultural Consultants Association)
Agendas
2022
Meeting Minutes
2022
Pre-legislative Scrutiny
Fertiliser Product Catalogue
The Product Catalogue is available to download when you log onto the National Fertiliser Database through Agfood.ie
User Guide Videos
User Videos for FEO (manufacturers/blenders, merchants, co-ops, importers)
1. Overview video for FEO’s
2. Product Catalogue and Transaction Reports
3. Submitting Transactions as a Fertiliser Economic Operator
4. Registration Checker of a FEU
5 Declaring Closing Stock
User Videos for FEU-(Farmers and Non-Farmers)
1. Registering as a Professional Fertiliser End User