East Farmers breathe sigh of relief after CO2 shortage averted
The shutting down of two fertilizer plants in Teesside and Chesire prompted fears over disruptions to supply of poultry and fresh produce
Last updated 22nd Sep 2021
Farmers across East England have welcomed news that one of the two fertilizer production plants, in Teesside, will reopen soon, meaning resumption of commercial carbon dioxide production as well.
Brian Finnerty is from National Farmers Union East Anglia,. He says, "Its been a very worrying time for our farmers over the last few days so it's very welcome news that the plants are to reopen shortly."
The plants he talks about are operated by CF Fertilizers, who shut down their UK operations week owing to exorbitant wholesale gas prices. The business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng announced last night that a deal had been reached with the American company to offer short term financial support that will restart production in one of their two site.
Carbon dioxide suitable for commercial use, is produced as by-product when fertilizers are manufactured. Commercial carbon dioxide is used extensively in farming and food processing. It is used to stun cattle and poultry in abattoirs and enhance the shelf life of fruits and vegetables in storage.
The details of the agreement with CF Fertilizers and when they will restart production is unclear. There is still worry that if production doesn't resume soon, many over-fed livestock will have to be culled. Mr. Finnerty says, "What our farmers will be looking for now is urgent clarity of the details of this agreement, especially of the timings as well as volumes of production established.
He stresses the importance of putting in place safeguards to ensure that such crises are averted in the future. "The last few days have shown how fragile our supply chain from farm to fork is, and that Government cannot take it for granted", he says, before warning that "we can't go through another crisis like this again".