New REPS rules to seek more slurry storage

By Paul Mooney

SOME farmers face exclusion from REPS because new specifications now being completed will increase the minimum slurry storage required in certain areas.

Some farmers already in the scheme could be asked to enlarge slurry facilities or reduce stock numbers. This was confirmed to the Journal by the Department of Agriculture yesterday. There is no indication that existing participants would receive payment for these changes. In cases farmers could be required to provide storage for up to 24 weeks of peak animal waste production.

The areas to be affected are those at risk of groundwater pollution and include Cork, Wexford, Cavan and Monaghan.

The new specifications will bring REPS into line with County Council guidelines on slurry storage. They will not include blanket limits. Instead REPS planners will liaise with local authorities and recommend storage requirements taking into account soil and farm type. The specifications will also set stocking rates on commonage farms. The reduction in sheep numbers recommended by framework plans will apply to a farmer's commonage land only and not to his lowland. But a stocking ceiling of five ewes per hectare is expected to apply on the lowland to ensure there is overall destocking.