The Department of Agriculture has moved to scrap the requirement for a grass lie-back for livestock grazing cover crops. While a lie-back is still required, stubble ground is now acceptable under the rules.

There must be at least 3ha of lie-back for every 7ha of cover crop, either stubble or grass.

In addition, the Department has confirmed that it is permissible to graze stubbles, with farmers having regard to good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). Stubble is now acceptable as part of the required lie-back, provided that:

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  • Animals can access the lie-back area at all times.
  • There is sufficient green cover established in the lie-back area, as required under the stubble management requirements of the nitrates regulations.
  • There is no repeated poaching of either the lie-back area or the catch crop area.

    • “These adjustments have been made in response to concern expressed by farmers about the practicality and impact of some of the measures required under the standard,” a Department spokesperson said.

    The news will come as a massive relief to the sheep and tillage sectors. The stipulation that cover crops required a grass lie-back would have meant many cover crops already planted or committed to in ACRES would have gone unused, with no grass parcel available as a lie-back.

    The store lamb trade is hugely dependent on stubbles, with hundreds of thousands of lambs grazing and being fed on stubble ground from the time straw is cleared or incorporated.