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Over 1,900 dairy farmers have not yet declared their nitrates excretion rate for 2023, the Department of Agriculture has said.
Last week, the Department wrote to these farmers giving them a final deadline of 30 September to declare whether they are in the lower, middle or higher band.
If farmers do not submit the relevant information, they will be defaulted to the highest excretion rate band of 106kg nitrogen/cow (N) in 2023.
Those in the middle band are assigned a rate of 92kg N/cow and the rate is 80kg for those in the lower band.
The higher band kicks in at more than 6,500kg milk yield per annum, the middle is between 4,501 and 6,000kg and the lower band are yields of 4,500kg or less.
Calculation
In order to determine the nitrate excretion rates, farmers must divide the total kilos of milk sold to dairy processors by the average number of dairy cows on the holding for that year.
Farmers can decide to do this based on the rolling average for the last three years, the most recent preceding year - which would be 2022 - or by using the herd’s 2023 average milk yield.
The first two options will be available to farmers on an ongoing basis each year to confirm the nutrient excretion rate band for their herd.
However, the 2023 option is available for this year only to facilitate farmers who wish to reduce their herd’s average milk yield to move down a band.
Farmers can declare their banding rate both online through the Irish cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) website or in paper form, which can be sent back to the Department.
The ICBF has developed an application on its website which combines dairy cow numbers with milk purchaser data, to confirm a dairy herd’s excretion rate band.
This website will therefore calculate and advise you on which band your herd will fall into.
SHARING OPTIONS: