A number of changes to common farming practices come into place from 1 January 2025. The changes, which are being introduced as part of the review to the fifth Nitrates Action Plan (NAP), include new rules around the recording of slurry movements/spreading methods, more restrictions on chemical fertiliser use and a lower crude protein content permitted to be fed to animals during the grazing season. Some of the changes which will be introduced over the next 12 months are new, but others are stricter iterations of rules already in place prior to 2025.
A number of changes to common farming practices come into place from 1 January 2025. The changes, which are being introduced as part of the review to the fifth Nitrates Action Plan (NAP), include new rules around the recording of slurry movements/spreading methods, more restrictions on chemical fertiliser use and a lower crude protein content permitted to be fed to animals during the grazing season.
Some of the changes which will be introduced over the next 12 months are new, but others are stricter iterations of rules already in place prior to 2025.
A number of rules are not yet signed into law and are still going through the appropriate assessment process, including the outcome of the recent public consultation. This is taken as a formality, with farmers expected to abide by them.
Below is a brief summary of the key changes coming in to play in 2025.
Slurry movement records
From 1 January 2025, the movement/export of organic nutrients between holdings must be recorded within four days of the movement occurring. This rule was initially planned to be introduced in the first half of 2024, but reports indicate the necessary updates to this timeline was subsequently delayed.
Calf excretion rates changed in 2024 with calves having a much lower excretion rate for the first three months of life.
The move is seen as a way to clamp down on so-called ‘paper movements’ of organic fertiliser. The recent NAP consultation document stated that the Department will share information with local authorities no later than the next working day after the movement has been declared to the Department, to allow inspections to take place.
Other automotive systems, for example GPS tracking of organic nutrient movements, will be reviewed and considered as a measure for the sixth NAP.
It is the responsibility of the exporter of organic nutrients to record the movement via agfood.ie. Importers who receive organic nutrients between 1 January and 30 June 2025 must verify the movement via the agfood.ie facility by 14 July 2025. Importers who receive organic nutrients from 1 July to 31 December 2025 must verify such movements by 14 January 2026.
Mitigate overstocking of land areas
From 1 January 2025, a lower stocking rate of 170kg N/ha will be taken for lands more than 30km from farm holding for farmers operating under a nitrates derogation. The consultation document states that: “Livestock are more likely to be grazed and organic manure is more likely to be applied in close proximity to the main farm holding.
Exports of organic nutrients must be recorded within four days from 1 January 2025
“There is a greater risk that the land within a manageable vicinity of the main farm holding will receive higher nutrients than the whole farm allowances, thus increasing the risk of nutrient surplus and loss to water.
“To mitigate against this, on farms with a nitrates derogation the maximum stocking rate will be limited to 170kg N/ha for land more than 30km from the main farm-holding unit, unless demonstrable evidence is provided to DAFM to show that this land is being farmed at an appropriate higher level.” There is no information on what will satisfy “demonstrable evidence” to allow a higher stocking rate.
Reduction in chemical nitrogen
The fifth NAP delivered a 10% reduction in the maximum allowable chemical nitrogen application rates for grassland.
A further 5% reduction in the maximum allowable chemical nitrogen fertiliser application rates for grassland will apply from 1 January 2025 for farms stocked above 170kg/ha organic nitrogen.
A chemical nitrogen fertiliser limit of 90kg N/ha on farms with a stocking rate of less than 85kg N/ha will apply from 1 January 2025.
If improvements in water quality are not evident in the next review period, a further reduction in the maximum allowable rates for grassland on all farms with a grassland stocking rate over 170kg N/ha will be considered as a further measure for the sixth NAP, which will commence in 2026.
Concentrates fed during grazing
Current rules in place in 2024 allowed a maximum crude protein content in concentrates of 15% to be fed to bovines aged two years and upwards at grass between 15 April and 30 September for holdings with a grassland stocking rate at or above 130kg/ha organic nitrogen in 2023. The maximum crude protein content permitted for the farm situation described above reduces to 14% for 2025.
A ban on the sale of unprotected urea in granular form comes in to place in September 2025. / Donal O' Leary
It is important to note that the grassland stocking rate that determines this decision in 2025 is based on the 2024 grassland stocking rate.
Managing crude protein in concentrates
The excretion rates used for dairy cows across the three different bands is based on cows being fed a concentrate with an average crude protein content of 16% across the year.
A proposal is contained in the NAP review document (which is being taken as being approved, pending final sign-off) allows farmers feeding a lower crude protein concentrate to avail of a reduced excretion rate. Table 1 details the standard excretion rate taking concentrates with an average of 16% crude protein and the effect of lowering this to 15%, 14% and 13%.
Farmers will be required to submit documentation to prove crude protein levels in concentrates fed.
Restriction on unprotected
urea use
The public consultation document proposes a restriction on the use of unprotected urea in granular form from 15 September 2025. This applies to all farmers and at present it is planned that there will be provision for the use of unprotected urea in liquid form, as this is viewed as typically being applied in lower and more accurate applications rates.
Bovine excretion rates
Changes to bovine excretion rates are already taken as a given, although they have not been ratified as part of the mid-term review of the NAP and are not evident in a farm’s organic nitrogen production figures for 2024. Therefore farmers have to carry out their own calculations if relying on such changes to stay within nitrates limits. It is expected that these will be under the proposals bovines aged zero to three months (zero to 90 days) will excrete lower nutrients of 1kg of N and 0.1kg P over that three-month period. This compares to the previous figure of 24kg for animals aged zero to 12 months. Bovine aged four to 12 months will excrete 20kg of N and 2.8kg of P over the remainder of that period, until an animal turns one year of age.
Excretion rates for bovines aged one to two years of age will also be amended in the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) regulations, with the current single value of 57kg N/year changing to 55kg N/year in respect of females and 61kg N/year in respect of males.
Mandatory clover use
At present, farmers operating with a nitrates derogation must incorporate at least 1.5kg/ha of naked clover seed or at least 2.5 kg/ha of pelleted clover into perennial ryegrass-based reseeds. This requirement will be extended to all farms and included as an amendment to the GAP regulations. A date is not currently outlined for this rule change, but if approved it will likely be introduced in 2025.
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