The Minister for Agriculture has tonight (Thursday, February 29) confirmed new developments on the nitrates front including proposed adjustments to the way nitrogen (N) excretion rates from calves and cows will be calculated.
Following a meeting of the Agriculture Water Quality Group earlier today Minister Charlie McConalogue said the changes “whilst relatively modest will benefit enterprises and farmers while also protecting water quality”.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) last October asked Teagasc to carry out research on bovine nutrient excretion rates.
According to Minister McConalogue this included analysis of the excretion rate of calves and the impact that reducing crude protein in concentrates fed to dairy cows has on the cow’s nutrient excretion rate.
The findings were reviewed and validated by University College Dublin.
Nitrates
The minister said tonight: “This work confirmed that excretion rates for young calves is lower than previously estimated, and that dairy farmers can reduce their cows’ nutrient excretion rate by limiting the level of crude protein in concentrate feed.
“On foot of that research, I intend to bring these adjustments into the review of the 5th Nitrates Action Plan, (NAP) which will be subject to appropriate assessment.
“Once signed into law, these figures will be used in determining a farm’s compliance for the 2024 year”.
Four days to report slurry movements
In addition to these developments the review of NAP will also propose a reduction in the maximum chemical allowance for grassland, and a reduction in the timeframe for reporting slurry movements between farms to allow for “improved verification”.
DAFM will move to a “timeframe of four days” for reporting livestock manure movements between farms.
This will be rolled out in the coming weeks which the department said will allow “farmers sufficient time to declare any movements of manure that have already taken place in 2024”.
According to Minister McConalogue DAFM will write to farmers shortly to advise them about the proposals going into the appropriate assessment so that they can plan for the proposed changes.
He believes that these latest developments in relation to nitrates – and the continuation of accelerated capital allowances announced in Budget 2024 for investments in manure storage facilities and changes to the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMs) for farmers that want to build additional slurry storage facilities – will have a “positive impact on water.”
“I want to acknowledge the constructive input of the Water Quality Working Group.
“This work must continue so that we can place ourselves in the best position to secure our nitrates derogation post-2025,” Minister McConalogue added.