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A review into slurry spreading restrictions in NI is to be carried out with a view to moving away from calendar-based closed periods.
“I want to do a course of work so that we are in a position next year to have a more flexible regime,” Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Edwin Poots told reporters on Tuesday.
“I want to look at if we can do it on a more meteorological basis than upon a date basis because we have a very fluctuating weather system here in NI,” he said.
Speaking at Ballymena Mart, the Lagan Valley MLA said that there will need to be scientific evidence to back up plans to move away from the three-and-half month closed period in NI.
He pointed out that January 2020 was relatively dry, but farmers were unable to spread slurry until 1 February.
Research
Minister Poots said that research conducted in NI has found that nutrient uptake in January is better than later in the season and earlier spreading was “something we need to look at”.
“It may be unsuitable to spread slurry in August on occasions and it may be very suitable to spread in January on occasions. We need to be much more flexible about best use of nutrients,” he said.
Read more in this week’s NI edition of the Irish Farmers Journal.
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