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More farmers will have to apply for a nitrates derogation when new rules on how much organic nitrogen a cow produces are introduced next January.
The move to increase the organic nitrogen level per cow will affect hundreds of farmers who currently sit between 150kg and 170kg of organic nitrogen per hectare.
They will be faced with options such as applying for a derogation, taking on more land or exporting slurry to other farmers who have capacity to take in slurry.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue confirmed the lift in organic nitrogen levels in the Dáil this week.
The move to increase the organic nitrogen level per cow will affect hundreds of farmers who currently sit between 150kg and 170kg of organic nitrogen per hectare
The likelihood is that a proportion of the 17,240 farmers currently classified in the 130kg/ha to 170kg/ha stocking rate category will move over 170kg/ha, and hence have to apply for a derogation, lease more land or export slurry.
Non-derogation farms
More significantly, the Irish Farmers Journal understands that the 5,000 farmers who currently are stocked over 170kg of organic nitrogen but have not applied for a derogation will be tied into derogation rules around using low-emission slurry spreading, lower crude protein in feed and liming strategically. It was expected that this cohort would be tied into derogation rules from 1 January 2020.
Modelling work
Scientific modelling work suggests the “Irish” cow produces 85kg of organic nitrogen per cow, but new science is now suggesting average milk yields are rising, which means the “Irish” cow will produce 89kg of organic nitrogen from 1 January 2021. This tightens the stocking rate limit on farms.
This week, over 1,000 penalty letters have been sent to farmers from the Department of Agriculture
At the moment, approximately 7,000 farmers avail of the nitrates derogation allowing them hold a stocking rate above two cows/hectare, but, there is also another 5,000 farmers stocked above 170kg who are not applying for a derogation.
Penalty letters
This week, over 1,000 penalty letters have been sent to farmers from the Department of Agriculture alerting them to the fact that they exceeded the 170kg/ha organic nitrogen target in 2019.
This cohort of farmers have not applied for a derogation and also have not applied for leasing more land or exporting slurry. Just last month, warning letters were sent to farmers for 2020, alerting them to their organic nitrogen rates.
Farmers should submit an export slurry form if they exceed the 170kg of organic nitrogen threshold but have not applied for a derogation.
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