All dairy farmers will be required to have increased slurry storage by 2028 under the draft nitrates action programme (NAP).

The sixth NAP has just opened for public consultation.

With effect from 1 October 2028, the slurry storage capacity required per dairy cow will be 0.40m3/cow/week, which is up from the current 0.33m3/cow/week requirement – this is an increase of 21% in storage.

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Based on the fact that the volume of soiled water produced from a dairy cow has increased by 43%, soiled water storage capacity is also proposed to be set as 0.30m3/cow/week, instead of the current 0.21m3.

This is proposed to be based on the number of cows being milked at critical times of year rather than theoretical peak cow numbers at any time during the year.

Budget

Subject to the available budget, the construction of additional storage will be supported through grant aid provided by the Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Housing has said that these measures reduce the risk of point-source losses and reduces the risk of nutrient loss from the land, allowing nutrients to be applied at the right time and the right rate when growing crops require them.

Derogation farmers will also have to prepare a "fertilisation plan", which will "describe the crop rotation of the farmland and the planned application of manure and other fertilisers".

That plan will be available on the grassland farm for each calendar year, before 1 March of that year, according to the draft NAP.

The plan will have to include the grassland parcels, land that is in tillage and a map indicating the location of individual parcels.

Available storage

It will also have to include livestock numbers of the farm and a "description" of the housing and slurry storage system, including the volume of manure storage available.

The amount of chemical fertiliser that the farm plans on using will also have to be included, along with calculations of the farm's nutrient balance.

"Livestock manure shall not be spread in the autumn before grass cultivation," the draft plan states.

The draft NAP has been published on the Government website, which begins a consultation process that will run for a minimum of one month, closing on 1 December.

Through this public consultation, the broader public and any other interested parties, along with the working group members, may take the opportunity to provide their views as part of this public consultation.

In developing the draft sixth programme, the Department sought advice from the nitrates expert group and engaged with the agri-food sector through the agriculture water quality working group.