Teagasc has announced an upper target of 290kg organic N/ha on the milking platform for farms participating in its new Signpost Programme.

This equates to a maximum grazing platform stocking rate of 3.25 cows/ha, using the new values for nitrate excretion per dairy cow coming into use next year. This is the first time a stocking rate limit on grazing platforms has been included in a farm programme and it signals a shift in policy towards two-tier stocking rate limits – one for the whole farm and one for the grazing platform.

The Department of Agriculture has already said it plans to review grazing platform stocking rates in the next Nitrate Action Programme (NAP) review in 2021.

A Department spokesperson said it has no plans to introduce limits on grazing platform stocking rates, but it could come up as part of the public consultation at the NAP review.

The current Nitrates Derogation allows farms to be stocked at a maximum of 250kg organic N/ha, averaged across all hectares. On farms with only dairy cows, this is a maximum stocking rate of 2.8 cows/ha.

The number of farms affected by a new grazing platform stocking rate will be governed by what, if any, new limit is applied

However, on many dairy farms the grazing platform is stocked higher than the overall farm average.

The number of farms affected by a new grazing platform stocking rate will be governed by what, if any, new limit is applied.

If the figure of 290kg organic N/ha, which is being used by Teagasc in the Signpost Programme, was adopted a significant proportion of dairy farms would have to reduce cow numbers.

However, it is unlikely that such a low limit will be introduced at the next review.

Farms currently involved in zero-grazing or that have a lot of fragmented parcels would be hardest hit by any limits on grazing platform stocking rates.

Incoming head of Teagasc Signpost Programme Tom O’Dwyer said farmers need to undertake a risk assessment if planning for high milking platform stocking rates.

“I would see it as a risk if someone was planning to spend a lot of money on infrastructure in order to drive a high milking platform stocking rate of 3.5 or 4cows/ha. All of our research would say that there is no economic or environmental benefit of stocking the grazing platform above 3.25 cows/ha.”

No increase in nitrogen use per hectare is expected

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that a Teagasc dairy roadmap shows that stocking rates on dairy farms are expected to increase from 2.1 cows/ha currently to 2.3 cows/ha in 2027.

No increase in nitrogen use per hectare is expected while net margin at a milk price of 29c/l is expected to more than double to €1,302/ha by 2027.

LESS reprieve

The Irish Farmers Journal has learned that farmers not in a derogation, but stocked over 170kg of organic N/ha will have until mid-April rather than 1 January 2021 to switch to spreading all slurry by low-emission slurry spreading only. Commenting on the amended time frame for the introduction of LESS, Minister McConalogue said: ?“Following constructive discussions between myself and Minister O’Brien, a balance has been struck allowing a revised timeframe to prepare these farmers for switching to LESS equipment.” He warned there would be no further change beyond 15 April 2021.

“Both myself and Minister O’Brien are committed to our environmental commitments under the Nitrates Action Programme and Derogation.”