There will be three options for dairy farmers to determine their nitrates band for 2023, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.
Farmers now have three avenues to determine their herd’s average milk yield to confirm their 2023 band and must select and submit the required information for one by 16 March.
The options include using the rolling milk yield average for the three preceding years (2020, 2021, 2022) or selecting the average for the most recent preceding year (2022).
A herd’s milk yield average for 2023 alone can also be used.
Minister McConalogue confirmed the options on Wednesday and encouraged all farmers and their advisors to engage as soon as possible with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) portal and submit the required information to confirm their nitrogen excretion band.
‘Necessary’
“I am conscious that the introduction of banding is a new and significant additional requirement for dairy farmers. This requirement was, however, a necessary part of securing our Nitrates Action Programme and Nitrates Derogation at EU level,” the Minister said.
He said that therefore, the options available to farmers have been made as “flexible as possible”.
All dairy farmers can now use ICBF website to confirm which option they wish to select for 2023 and their associated band.
Minister McConalogue said that such confirmation will allow dairy farmers to “plan to manage their farm accordingly to ensure compliance with the Nitrates Regulations, including where appropriate the stocking rate limits set under the Nitrates Derogation”.
Data
The Department of Agriculture has said that a small number of dairy farmers have not consented to their milk processor sharing their data with the ICBF.
These farmers have been asked to request their milk processor to complete a milk purchaser statement and provide supporting information to the Department so their herd’s excretion rate band can be confirmed.
“Protecting and improving Ireland’s water quality is critical to our industry’s ambition and to maintaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation into the future.
“I am also conscious of working with farmers to facilitate this change in as practical a way as possible and have worked with my colleague, Minister Darragh O’Brien to deliver this,” Minister McConalogue said.
Watch back: Irish Farmers Journal nitrates meeting.
Hundreds of farmers attended information meetings hosted by the Irish Farmers Journal which featured speakers from the Department of Agriculture, the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) and the IFA.
Here’s a chance to catch up with what was heard and seen at the meetings.
SHARING OPTIONS