A “zero tolerance” approach to farmers who spread slurry outside of closed periods is set to be unveiled by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the Minister is planning to convene a working group to include farm organisations, the EPA, the ASSAP and local authority water quality groups and Department officials.
A “zero tolerance” approach to farmers who spread slurry outside of closed periods is set to be unveiled by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the Minister is planning to convene a working group to include farm organisations, the EPA, the ASSAP and local authority water quality groups and Department officials.
The aim will be to pull together a comprehensive case for Ireland to retain its nitrates derogation and 250kg nitrogen per hectare stocking rates in the face of pressure from Brussels.
The European Commission is demanding proof of improvements in water quality in Ireland and incidents such as the recent Co Clare video showing illegal slurry spreading in unsuitable conditions is doing nothing to help Ireland’s case.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal in Donegal this week, the Minister said that the days of seeing slurry spreading take place during a closed period are numbered.
“I know that 99.9% of farmers are appalled to see farmers break the rules around slurry spreading dates and we are all horrified to see something like that take place when it is utterly avoidable.
“The hammer will fall on these farmers and they are on notice now. They must have the adequate storage to see them through the next closed period. I will be adopting a zero-tolerance approach to this and I am looking at how I can strictly enforce this in my own Department.
“Water quality is an imperative for everything we do as a sector and we simply can’t tolerate breaches.”
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