Farmers in Tipperary have launched a petition which aims to overturn the splash plate ban coming into effect for some farms from 1 January.

Over 350 farmers arrived in Upperchurch, outside Thurles, on Tuesday night to sign the petition and discuss the health and safety implications of the ban.

From 1 January 2025, farmers stocked between 100kg organic N/ha and 129kg N/ha will be legally required to spread slurry using low emissions slurry spreading (LESS) equipment.

Safety was the number one concern among farmers on the night, while the cost of investing in this equipment and the negative environmental impacts were also discussed.

"Using LESS in the hills is dangerous, unworkable and putting the safety of farmers at risk. This plan needs to be scrapped.

"It was done without thinking about the people in the hills. This one is still within Ireland and it can be changed by the Minister for Agriculture," north Tipperary Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) chair Baden Powell told the packed hall.

Near miss

Local farmer Alan Ryan from Templederry spoke about a near miss he had while spreading slurry last year and highlighted the dangers of driving these hills with heavy machinery.

"The tractor did a full 360 around over the cab and back on to its wheels. And I got some doing out of that, but I managed to walk away. I’m probably 25 years travelling that same field and I got caught out myself," he said.

Local undertaker and farmer Joe O'Dwyer said that having LESS equipment on the back of tanks reduces grip and traction significantly.

"We've all seen farm accidents down through the years, we've had enough of them. We all know what it's like to be in a tractor that's taken off or turned over.

"Lads down the country don't understand hill farming. We're all rearing cattle and that, but when it comes to machinery up on the hills, it's a different kettle of fish altogether.

"Contractors down the country won't let their lads up to the hills. You have to be reared on the hills to drive on the hills," he said.

Bigger tanks

In order for farmers in this area to use LESS equipment such as dribble bars or trailing shoe themselves, they would have to buy a bigger slurry tank, invest in a higher horse power tractor, have more slurry storage in order to dilute the slurry with water and drive at faster speeds in order for the equipment to work properly, the meeting heard.

"It's a big expense running higher horse power machinery and we all know that more modern tractors have a higher running cost. It's just too much to ask, there's more slurry storage required and many farmers have reduced payments [BISS]."

Meanwhile, IFA president Francie Gorman stressed how asking these small, lowly stocked farmers to use LESS is not going to change the dial. He highlighted both the negative economic and environmental impacts of using LESS in hilly areas.

A number of county councillors attended the meeting on Tuesday night, including Indepenedent TD Michael Lowry, who said he had spoken to Minister McConalogue on the issue earlier that day.