What to do when exporting slurry

With the deadline to spread slurry fast approaching, there are many farmers who will simply be unable to get slurry out on land before the 15 October deadline.

This means farmers could have to wait until 12 January if they are in Zone A, 15 January if they are in Zone B and 31 January if they are in Zone C, before they can legally spread slurry on their land once more.

For many farmers looking at full slurry tanks, there are very limited options as to what can be done.

One less frequently used option available to farmers is to export slurry to another farmer who may not be highly stocked and has ample storage capacity, or who emptied tanks earlier in the year.

Farmers will generally export organic fertilisers if they are in danger of breaching the 170kg N/ha/year limits that apply under the nitrates regulations, rising to 250kg N/ha/year if a farmer is in derogation.

However, it could also be used to free up storage capacity for a farmer.

One crucial aspect to take account of is that the farm that is importing the organic fertiliser should not go over the limits either, or they too could be liable for a penalty to their basic payment.

A record of the movement of organic fertilisers must be submitted to the department before the 31 December 2017.

A form is available on the Department’s website which must be filled in with details of the type of fertiliser, the date of movement, the nutrient content of the fertiliser, the quantity moved and the total kilograms of both nitrogen and phosphorus.

The name, signature and herd number of the exporter and importer must also be on the form.

If the farmer importing the organic fertiliser does not have a herd number they must provide the Department with the area and LPIS number of the parcel.

A copy of the form must also be kept by both the exporter and importer.

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