The draft Nitrates Action Programme for the next four years has been published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Members of the public have until 28 November to submit comments on the draft regulation through www.housing.gov.ie.

The draft includes earlier recommendations for stricter water protection on heavily stocked farms.

Derogation farms will have until 1 January 2021 to fence livestock out of rivers, moving drinking points 20m from surface waters and change farm roadways to prevent runoff.

The 20m buffer zone for spreading or storing nutrients near a water body now includes turloughs likely to flood.

Stocking

Farms stocked above 130kg N/ha with a phosphorus index of 1 to 3 will have a new option to build up additional P if they meet strict conditions.

Outside this buildup option, however, overall allowable grassland fertilisation rates on grassland are reduced by 4kg/ha to 12kg/ha for phosphorus and 20kg/ha to 30kg/ha for nitrogen depending on the farm’s stocking rate.

The draft regulation also makes adjustments to the fertilisation rates for potatoes and vegetables.

FYM cannot be stockpiled on fields this winter

Cross-compliance inspections 10 times more common in some counties

River fencing and roadways run-off in draft nitrates regulation

Earlier recommendations to reduce nutrient losses to water have been included in a draft regulation, with the Government inviting final comments before its entry into force early next year.