More areas are due to see their nitrates derogation stocking rate limits drop from 250kg organic nitrogen/ha to 220kg N/ha from December as nitrates rules tighten even further.
Vast swathes of the country had already been operating under a maximum derogation stocking rate of 220kg N/ha since January 2024 after the Department of Agriculture’s midterm review of derogation stocking rates.
December’s cut will mark the first time the 250kg N/ha and 220kg N/ha boundaries changed since this 2024 drop.
It is not yet known how many farmers will be faced with reducing stocking rates or sourcing additional land to comply with the lower limit.
Maximum nitrates derogation stocking rate limits map showing the 220kg N/ha areas. Purple shows areas cut from 1 January 2024, yellow shows the areas to be cut from 1 December 2025.
A map published online by the Department shows areas in east Kerry, north and mid-Cork, west Waterford and Wexford that will see top derogation stocking rates reduced to 220kg N/ha.
Parts of Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Clare, Galway, Kildare, Wicklow, Waterford and Wexford will continue with the 250kg N/ha derogation stocking rate beyond December, as the map currently stands.
ICMSA anger
Deputy leader of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) Eamon Carroll slammed the move to publish the map online and unannounced before notifying affected farmers as “hugely disappointing”.
Carroll said that the ICMSA had pushed the Department to communicate the changes at the last meeting of the agriculture water quality group.
“To imagine that just publishing the new map on the Department’s website with the affected areas is sufficient communication is very casual and an inconceivable way to communicate on an issue of such importance to so many farmers,” he commented.
Affected derogation farmers keeping just within their stocking rate limits have been planning their management around now-outdated nutrient management plans, as a fall to 220kg N/ha for the last month of this year reduces their effective 2025 stocking to rate to just 247kg N/ha, he suggested.
“This might seem like a small change for this year, but it will be at the 220kg mark next year and farmers will be heading into breeding season soon.
“Just putting it up on a website and expecting the farmers concerned to notice it seems very, very casual and does not treat this matter with the importance that the farmers concerned attach to it.”
Read more
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Stocking rate limits on milking platform on table
More areas are due to see their nitrates derogation stocking rate limits drop from 250kg organic nitrogen/ha to 220kg N/ha from December as nitrates rules tighten even further.
Vast swathes of the country had already been operating under a maximum derogation stocking rate of 220kg N/ha since January 2024 after the Department of Agriculture’s midterm review of derogation stocking rates.
December’s cut will mark the first time the 250kg N/ha and 220kg N/ha boundaries changed since this 2024 drop.
It is not yet known how many farmers will be faced with reducing stocking rates or sourcing additional land to comply with the lower limit.
Maximum nitrates derogation stocking rate limits map showing the 220kg N/ha areas. Purple shows areas cut from 1 January 2024, yellow shows the areas to be cut from 1 December 2025.
A map published online by the Department shows areas in east Kerry, north and mid-Cork, west Waterford and Wexford that will see top derogation stocking rates reduced to 220kg N/ha.
Parts of Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Clare, Galway, Kildare, Wicklow, Waterford and Wexford will continue with the 250kg N/ha derogation stocking rate beyond December, as the map currently stands.
ICMSA anger
Deputy leader of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) Eamon Carroll slammed the move to publish the map online and unannounced before notifying affected farmers as “hugely disappointing”.
Carroll said that the ICMSA had pushed the Department to communicate the changes at the last meeting of the agriculture water quality group.
“To imagine that just publishing the new map on the Department’s website with the affected areas is sufficient communication is very casual and an inconceivable way to communicate on an issue of such importance to so many farmers,” he commented.
Affected derogation farmers keeping just within their stocking rate limits have been planning their management around now-outdated nutrient management plans, as a fall to 220kg N/ha for the last month of this year reduces their effective 2025 stocking to rate to just 247kg N/ha, he suggested.
“This might seem like a small change for this year, but it will be at the 220kg mark next year and farmers will be heading into breeding season soon.
“Just putting it up on a website and expecting the farmers concerned to notice it seems very, very casual and does not treat this matter with the importance that the farmers concerned attach to it.”
Read more
Unprotected urea ban from 2026 and new calf excretion rates
Stocking rate limits on milking platform on table
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