This is a subscriber-only article
Some of the measures proposed in DAERA’s ammonia consultation will have major implications for farmers.
The switch to all slurry being applied using low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) from 2026 is no great surprise given that it already is a requirement for contractors and larger farms to utilise a dribble bar or trailing shoe.
But it doesn’t seem right to force smaller farmers, who haven’t created the ammonia problem, to use LESSE. In practice, with their own tanker they might have been able to get some slurry on when conditions were ideal. Instead, they will now either be at the back of the queue for a contractor, or be forced to spend tens of thousands on equipment, to probably include a heavier tractor to pull a tanker fitted with LESSE.
Grazing season
The DAERA consultation also refers to longer grazing seasons, with previous research work highlighting that if cattle in NI were grazed for an extra week at the start and end of the season it would cut emissions from cattle by over 3%.
On the face of it, it is a bit of a ridiculous assumption to make, especially on beef farms, most of which put cattle out in spring when conditions allow, and re-house when it gets too wet in autumn. If anything, on many farms, growing cattle are left out too long, prolonging the subsequent finishing period.
It is not made explicit in the DAERA consultation, but the real target for extending the grazing season is the dairy sector, and in particular, those that don’t graze at all.
The document quotes a case study which shows that for a given herd size, systems where dairy cattle are always indoors produce 57% more ammonia emissions than where herds are grazed for part of the year. It adds that DAERA wants to “work with supply chain and farming organisations to agree how best to encourage uptake of this vital measure”, with examples given of bonus schemes from England and the Netherlands that reward dairy farmers who graze cows.
SHARING OPTIONS: