Farmers who buy fertiliser or lime without being registered on the National Fertiliser Database will be breaking the law from 1 September, and could be fined from €5,000 to €100,000. Both the quantity and type of fertiliser, as well as the date it was transferred to the farmer, must be recorded on the database.

Farmers importing fertiliser from Northern Ireland will also be legally obliged to register as a fertiliser economic operator and to declare imports on the database.

Department of Agriculture inspectors can inspect farms and merchant yards for compliance with the new law.