Checks on slurry movements have ramped up significantly in recent weeks, as the Department of Agriculture and local authorities seek to clamp down on fictitious and undocumented exports of organic manure.

A major tightening of the slurry exports regime has been flagged by the Department at recent training events for private farm consultants.

Large slurry volumes moving from Cork as far north as Donegal have been recorded on the AgFood system and were cited by Department officials as being a source of concern.

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Local authorities have also stepped up checks on slurry movements.

New rules introduced in 2025 require farmers exporting organic manures to record such movements within four days of the materials leaving their yards.

This information is now shared with the local authorities by the Department, increasing the visibility for the authorities when checking if the movements actually happened and if the reported volumes were accurate. For more, see page 16.