Tighter restrictions on the use of “map acres” by intensive livestock farmers have been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture.

Map acres are used to generate payments and dilute stocking rates, but are often not farmed.

In briefings on the new nitrates regime, the Department reiterated that the stocking rate for commonage ground will be cut from 170kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare to 50kgN/ha.

This equates to seven mountain ewes and their lambs or 3.8 lowland ewes and their lambs.

While the new stocking rate will have little impact on the majority of hill sheep enterprises, it signals a marked tightening of the screw around the use of map acres by intensive dairy and beef farmers.

Reports indicate this practice of using map acres to dilute stocking rates on intensive livestock farms has been used by upwards of 500 farmers availing of a nitrates derogation.

It is also availed of by a significant number of farmers to stay below the standard nitrates cut-off limit of 170kgN/ha.

Rules introduced by the Department in 2020 capped commonage and rough grazing to 170kg/ha of organic N/ha for nitrates purposes and the latest cut to 50kgN/ha could effectively end the practice of these lands being used in nitrates calculations.