§ Mr. WatsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2004 reference 166842, what assessment she has made of the alternative fertilisers used in countries that have banned ammonium nitrate fertilisers. [170585]
§ Mr. MorleyThe soil and climatic conditions in the countries that have banned ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilisers—China, Colombia, Algeria and the Philippines—are very different from those experienced in the UK. One of the principal alternative fertilisers used in these countries is urea. Urea-based fertilisers give rise to greater ammonia emissions than AN. A switch to urea could, therefore, put at risk the UK's ability to meet internationally-agreed ammonia reduction targets. Crops cannot use urea directly. It must first be converted to ammonium and to nitrate nitrogen in the soil before being taken up by plants. As a result, urea can, in cold conditions, be slower acting than AN. The loss of ammonia from urea can also reduce crop yields, thus adding to the cost of crop production. As mentioned in my previous answer, we have an ongoing dialogue with industry to compare how well other nitrogen fertilisers perform in our soil and climatic conditions and their potential environmental impacts.