A decision on whether the slurry spreading deadline of 30 September will be extended is to be made by the end of the week, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said.

Officials in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing are examining whether criteria have been met, which would allow for the slurry spreading period to be extended.

These include grass growth rates, weather conditions and ground saturation levels.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There is a process which needs to be undertaken to decide on any extension to the slurry spreading deadline,” Minister McConalogue told the Irish Farmers Journal at the National Ploughing Championships.

“It is based on grass growth and it is also based on ground conditions and rainfall. I have asked my team to pull together the group that actually makes that call.

“It would have to be done in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Local Government and I expect to have a final decision on that by the end of this week, but I have asked them to do all the preparatory work to enable the potential to make an answer.”

The moves comes after farmers were left with just two weeks to spread or export slurry with knowledge of their farms’ organic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels for the year so far.

Planning nutrient usage

Previous years’ statements went out to farmers over the summer months, giving more time to plan nutrient usage in compliance with nitrates rules.

Current indications from Met Éireann suggest that there will be scattered blustery showers in parts on Friday, with increased levels of rainfall forecast on Saturday and Sunday.

The heaviest accumulations will potentially be in the west, where 33mm of rain is forecast.