Farmers are being urged to ensure they don’t incur a Basic Payment penalty through nitrates breaches.

Such penalties, largely due to stocking rate levels, and are utterly avoidable. Still, 2,000 farmers get penalised every year, accounting for a huge proportion of financial penalties. Farmers can still avoid these penalties by taking action.

The Department of Agriculture has sent texts to more than 8,000 farmers whose profile showed them close to the limit. These farmers are encouraged to check they are not in breach of the rules.

Simple steps that can prevent a nitrates breach include exporting slurry to less intensively stocked farms or renting land and submitting the appropriate forms to the Department by year end. Selling stock would have no effect this late in the year. You only reduce your nitrates profile when the paperwork has been filed, so make sure to get it in on time.

You can download the form and email to nitrates@agriculture.gov.ie. Contact the Department’s Nitrates Section, Johnstown Castle, Wexford at 053-916 3444 if you have any queries.