DAFM 'currently identifying' farmers who will move to 220kg N/ha stocking rate
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is "currently in the process" of identifying farmers who will have to move to the lower nitrates derogation stocking rate of 220kg livestock manure nitrogen (N) per hectare from December.
In a statement to Agriland, DAFM said this is to "facilitate" the department to issue individualised letters to "potentially impacted nitrates derogation applicants of their whole farm organic nitrogen limit for 2025".
"To allow these letters issue as early as possible, they will be based on land declared for Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme 2024.
"They will issue to herds with stocking rates greater than 170kg N/ha in 2024 prior to exports, and those herds who applied for a nitrates derogation in 2023 or 2024, that have at least one Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) parcel that is moving to the 220kg N/ha derogation stocking rate limit from December 2025," DAFM outlined.
The department also confirmed that it is "working to issue these letters to farmers as soon as possible".
In the meantime, as Agriland revealed last week, DAFM has published the maximum nitrates derogation stocking rate limits map for 2025.
"This map has been provided to communicate the maximum information currently available to facilitate planning by farmers and their advisors," DAFM stated.
According to the department, an "interactive map will also be made available shortly".
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) had previously hit out at how the department had communicated the possible change in stocking rate limits to farmers.
Eamon Carroll, deputy president of the ICMSA, said the map shows a “significant increase in the 220kg nitrogen per hectare areas, meaning that many more farmers will now have a maximum stocking density of 220kgs rather than 250kgs”.
Carroll, who also chairs the ICMSA Farm and Rural Affairs Committee, said it was hugely disappointing that DAFM had “not notified the farmers affected on an individual basis despite the fact it will directly impact them in 2025”.
However DAFM said its "approach to notifying farmers was discussed with the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group at a meeting of that group on February 28".
"The department intends to fully honour its commitment to individually notify the potentially impacted farmers as soon as it is in a position to do so," DAFM told Agriland.
