Ireland’s new nitrates derogation will allow farmers to exceed the limit of 170kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations, but will be subject to stricter rules, a statement from the Department of Agriculture has said.
The new derogation is to come into force in January 2018 and comes as part of Ireland’s fourth Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) which was reviewed this year.
Farmers on derogation farms will be able to spread up to a maximum of 250kg per hectare, subject to adherence to stricter rules.
Additional stipulations
As well as the requirements that applied to previous derogations that farmers are familiar with, the Department has outlined that there are two additional stipulations which ensure a higher level of environmental protection:
1. 50% of all slurry produced on a derogation farm must be applied by the 15 June annually. After this date slurry may only be applied using low emission equipment.2. In order to be eligible for a derogation farmers must have sufficient storage for all livestock manure and soiled water produced on the holding.The review of the Nitrates Action Programme has yielded a package of measures that sufficiently raises the bar in tackling agricultural impacts on water to allow a positive formal vote by the EU Nitrates Management Committee in Brussels on Monday on Ireland’s request for a renewal of its derogation under the Nitrates Directive, the Department said.
This fourth NAP will run until the end of 2021, as will the renewed derogation.
Balanced commitment
The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, intends to sign regulations into law before the end of the year to give formal effect to the derogation.
Minister Murphy said: “the decision is recognition by fellow EU member states that Ireland is maintaining a balanced commitment to ongoing improvements in water quality while continuing to develop its agricultural sector.
“This new programme places a particular emphasis on disrupting pollution pathways in order to prevent agricultural run-off affecting the water environment.”
Minister Creed welcomed the renewal of the derogation for a further four years as “it allows farmers to plan ahead with certainty over the medium term.
“It also supports the Government’s strong belief that greater value can be generated from the agri-food sector while continuing to protect water quality which is a critical component of Ireland’s sustainable agriculture”.
Read more
Dairy management: nitrates
Environmental challenge is not going away – Hogan
Ireland’s new nitrates derogation will allow farmers to exceed the limit of 170kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations, but will be subject to stricter rules, a statement from the Department of Agriculture has said.
The new derogation is to come into force in January 2018 and comes as part of Ireland’s fourth Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) which was reviewed this year.
Farmers on derogation farms will be able to spread up to a maximum of 250kg per hectare, subject to adherence to stricter rules.
Additional stipulations
As well as the requirements that applied to previous derogations that farmers are familiar with, the Department has outlined that there are two additional stipulations which ensure a higher level of environmental protection:
1. 50% of all slurry produced on a derogation farm must be applied by the 15 June annually. After this date slurry may only be applied using low emission equipment.2. In order to be eligible for a derogation farmers must have sufficient storage for all livestock manure and soiled water produced on the holding.The review of the Nitrates Action Programme has yielded a package of measures that sufficiently raises the bar in tackling agricultural impacts on water to allow a positive formal vote by the EU Nitrates Management Committee in Brussels on Monday on Ireland’s request for a renewal of its derogation under the Nitrates Directive, the Department said.
This fourth NAP will run until the end of 2021, as will the renewed derogation.
Balanced commitment
The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, intends to sign regulations into law before the end of the year to give formal effect to the derogation.
Minister Murphy said: “the decision is recognition by fellow EU member states that Ireland is maintaining a balanced commitment to ongoing improvements in water quality while continuing to develop its agricultural sector.
“This new programme places a particular emphasis on disrupting pollution pathways in order to prevent agricultural run-off affecting the water environment.”
Minister Creed welcomed the renewal of the derogation for a further four years as “it allows farmers to plan ahead with certainty over the medium term.
“It also supports the Government’s strong belief that greater value can be generated from the agri-food sector while continuing to protect water quality which is a critical component of Ireland’s sustainable agriculture”.
Read more
Dairy management: nitrates
Environmental challenge is not going away – Hogan
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: