The decreased upper limit under the nitrates derogation of 220kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare applies in most of the country from today (Monday, January 1) and throughout 2024.
This means that farmers farming at organic N stocking rates above 220kgN/ha must find the means of offsetting their stocking rate, or reducing it as an average figure throughout the year, or face being penalised.
Before today, the upper derogation limit nationwide was 250kgN/ha. However, in line with the conditions of Ireland’s current derogation, granted by the EU in early 2022, most of the country will see the upper limit reduced to 220kgN/ha.
A relatively small potion of the country’s area will retain the derogation at 250kgN/ha.
The move to 220kgN/ha in the affected areas, follows on from a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June, which outlined the areas of the country where water pollution was continuing to deteriorate.
In line with the derogation regulations agreed between the government and the EU, the derogation would have to be reduced in those areas.
This set off a sequence of events that have dominated the agricultural news headlines over the last six months.
Despite the hopes of farm organisations and rural politicians, the date for the onset of the statutory change in derogation has not been changed.
Limits for nitrates purposes are determined across the whole year.
A farmer with all their land at 220kgN/ha will have to achieve a stocking rate no greater than 220kg N/ha for the year 2024 overall.
The 220kgN/ha limit does not have to be achieved from today. However, where a change is required to achieve the new lower limit, the longer that change is delayed the more significant it may have to be.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has frequently highlighted the exportation of slurry as a means to offset stocking rates for impacted farmers.
Budget 2024 included an increased level of grant aid for farmers constructing or increasing slurry storage capacity, in anticipation of farmers impacted by the derogation needing to offload significant amounts of slurry.
Some 2,150 farmers farm above 220kgN/ha, and will therefore be impacted by the derogation cut.
In a recent article, Agriland outlined some of the key moments over the last six months for the nitrates derogation, which you can read here.