Michael Clarke, chair of the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers’ Association, said that calculating nitrates requirement is a priority on farms ahead of the beginning of the closed period on 15 October.

Clarke reminded farmers of the need for records of exports of organic manure to be submitted to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) by 31 January for the previous calendar year.

This is one key change of the Nitrates Action Plan (NAP) 2015–2018 from the previous NAP. A copy of this also needs to be kept on the farm in case of an inspection.

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90% of NI farms under 170kg/ha limit

The NIEA states that if export records are not submitted on time, then the information cannot be taken into account for calculating the nitrogen loading on your farm. If this is the case, then it could mean the farm exceeds the nitrogen limit of 170kg/ha.

This is calculated as the total nitrogen excretions for the livestock on your farm, plus or minus organic manure imported or exported, divided by the eligible agricultural area. Approximately 90% of farm businesses are under this limit in NI, but the NIEA advises all farmers to calculate their nitrogen loading.

Organic manure

Clarke also warned farmers who import organic manure to be aware of the effect it can have on their nitrogen loading.

Information to be recorded for exports of organic manures includes volume or weight, type of manure and nitrogen content and the name and address of the exporter, importer and transporter.

It is recommended that the total nitrogen content is included in the records. This is not a statutory requirement, but it helps to assess the nitrogen loading status of the farm.

Information on the NAP 2015–2018, including nitrogen excretion rates for different livestock types, are available on the NIEA website.