Farmers involved in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) have only a number of days to submit an application for the 2018 Carbon Navigator.
Participating farmers should have received a letter from the ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation) – on behalf of the Department of Agriculture – on how to complete the 2018 Carbon Navigator; it can either be completed on paper or online through HerdPlus on: www.ICBF.com.
The information required is from the 2018 calendar year and falls into three distinct sections:
- Length of grazing season – turnout and housing dates for suckler cows and yearlings or an indication if stock were out-wintered;
- Nitrogen usage – tonnes of CAN (calcium ammonium nitrate) used, total urea used and total tonnes of concentrate used;
- Slurry and farmyard manure (FYM) management – the percentage of slurry and farmyard manure spread in spring/summer and autumn and the method of application used.
The Carbon Navigator must be completed no later than September 30, 2019.
There are two ways in which you can submit the data required:
- Sign in on the ICBF website, go into the BDGP section and click on the Carbon Navigator tab. Complete and save the data online – online applications have to be completed by midnight on September 30, 2019; or,
- A paper version will have been posted to farmers by ICBF earlier this year. Farmers should fill out the sheet and post it back before September 30, 2019.