Almost 4,000 movements of slurry were not verified by the importing farmer by the closing date of December 31.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), these movements are deemed to have not taken place.
In other words, these volumes of slurry are considered to have remained on the farm of origin.
The exportation of slurry is seen as one of the key methods by which farmers that are farming above the new nitrates derogation limit of 220kg organic nitrogen (N) per hectare can offset their organic stocking rates.
When a farmer submits the movement of organic manure online through the department’s agfood portal, a text message is sent to the farmer who, according to the exporter’s submission, is the importing farmer.
The text advises the importer that there is a slurry movement to their farm awaiting approval through agfood. The importing farmer then logs on to their own agfood account and verifies that the movement took place.
Reminder texts are sent monthly in the relevant year, to both the exporter and importer, regarding movements that are yet to be verified.
December 31, 2023 was the deadline for the notification and verification of livestock manure movements that took place in 2023.
Slurry exports not verified
The department told Agriland that, as of that date, 3,910 movements had not yet been verified by the importer.
In line with department procedures, these unverified movements are considered not to have taken place, i.e., the organic manure is considered to have remained on the holding of origin.
Agriland has become aware of some reported incidents whereby farmers received DAFM correspondence that they had been listed as importing slurry, however they claim they had no knowledge of such an import.
The department said that farmers who enter false movements of organic manure in an effort to circumvent regulations “put water quality and hence the future of the entire industry at risk through the impact this has on Ireland’s ability to secure the maximum possible nitrates derogation stocking rate limits”.
During the latter half of 2023, the exportation of slurry appears to have been the method favoured by government following confirmation in September that the regulations around Ireland’s nitrates derogation would not be revisited by the EU, and that the derogation would be reduced from 250kg N/ha.
In Budget 2024, enhanced grant aid was announced to partially offset the cost of constructing and expanding slurry storage facilities, in order to deal with the expected increase in volume of slurry movements as a result of the change in the derogation.