Building to fit into the future

By Peter Young

26 March 05 : IRISH farmers will not stop investing in the farmyard. Farmers looking to expand will build. Even farmers who want to remain as they are, or even reduce numbers, may have to invest. At the very least there are maintenance costs for keeping silage slabs and cattle housing in good working order.

The other reason for considering expansion is that while the decoupling era has taken the focus off numbers, other factors will put the focus on the farmyard. The nitrates directive, when implemented, will bring the need for 16 to 24 week's storage depending on where you are in the country. Surveys have shown that many farms fall well short of this.

Good agricultural and environmental conditions, cross- compliance and quality assurance will all take in the farmyard in one way or another.

In the past many have used the REPS payment as a way of covering the cost of any building costs needed to qualify. With more farmers now looking at the option this will continue.

Farmers will not stop building but they have to start asking harder questions of what return they get on their investments. With steel and labour prices rocketing, the costs of building conventional houses has jumped by 30-50%.

Last year saw a dramatic increase in the numbers applying for grants under the farm waste management and dairy hygiene schemes.

Lower cost alternatives such as outwintering pads, integrated wetlands and earthen lined storage tanks have generated a lot of interest. News that the expert group has finally agreed on recommendations for the earth-lined storage tanks has to be welcomed.

Their approval opens the way for getting the structures speedily approved. Once agreed there will be no reason for them not to be allowed for REPS and for grant funding.

Earth-lined stores: one big step closer

The detailed specifications for building earth-lined stores (as they have now been officially christened) have finally been agreed. The expert group signed off on the details last week. It's a major step in the process, which should now quickly see farmers be approved to build them.

Research carried out by Teagasc has clearly shown that the tanks once constructed correctly can safely hold slurry, effluent and other dirty water. From a nutrient management point of view, a large storage capacity will also allow farmers to use slurry and waste water at more appropriate times of the year. The biggest benefit is that they can be built at one fifth of the cost of concrete and steel storage systems. This is good news for farmers who could be faced with putting in extra storage capacity due to the implementation of the nitrate directives. The group have recommended that planning permission be required for all earth-lined stores (ELS) built. Farmers looking to build ELS will have to first get a site assessment carried out by a trained person. Initial drafts of the specification had sought that construction be supervised by a chartered engineer. However, in the final document, this has been altered to a "suitably trained person'' who will have to go through a specific training process. The assessment will involve a checklist, which includes site suitability in terms of slope and position. Test holes will also have to be dug to determine the depth to the water table, the depth to bedrock and the soil and subsoil characteristics.

Two thirds of Irish soils are believed to be suitable for the building of ELSs. ELS construction may prove uneconomical on some sites with rock close to the surface. Sites cannot be within 10m of an open watercourse or 60m of any well or spring used for potable water. They cannot be positioned within 50m of a lake. The site should not be liable to flooding or have underlying material such as peat underneath. ELS should not be built where the site is steeply sloping at greater than 1:5.

The building specifications will vary depending on soil type with some soils requiring more compaction than others. On heavy soils, at least a half metre of compacted soil will be required. On vulnerable sites, one metre of compacted soils will be needed, with a further 1.5m of loose soil underneath. The banks of the ELS will not be allowed exceed a slope of 1 in 1.5. They should also be not less than 6metres high above ground level and be well-compacted. The banks will have to be between 3-4 metres wide on top.

Emphasis has been put on the safety fencing around the ELS and also designs, for filling, aerating and emptying the tank. A concrete floored access point to allow for safe agitation and waste removal is included in the specifications. A 'simple aeration system' could consist of a series of plastic pipes spaced evenly across the floor of the store, through which compressed air can be blown. Propeller agitators may be used but the use of a vertical pump, with jetter, is not permitted. It will be vital that any system installed does not damage the soil liner.

The Department of Agriculture will now produce a guidance document, which will outline the proper construction of ELST for wastewater and slurry storage.

The recommendations will go to the Minister of Agriculture and the Department of Environment where they have to be approved.

Once this happens ELS should be allowed in REPS and also qualify for grants under the Farm Waste Management scheme. The low cost of building the ELS means that even if grant level were increased to 60%, the overall cost would not be massive to the exchequer.

The technical working group is continuing to meet to examine constructed wetlands and out-wintering Pads. It is expected that a report on these systems will be available in some months' time.