The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has announced that cattle only nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) statements for the whole of 2022 are now available.

The department said that the N and P statements, which are now available for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2022, are useful for farmers as they can plan for the remainder of the year to ensure compliance with nitrates regulations limits.

DAFM said this will help farmers avoid penalties for breaching the limits of 170kg of organic nitrogen per hectare or the limit of 250kg/ha for those who hold an approved Nitrates Derogation licence.

The department has provided details on measures farmers can take to avoid exceeding their nitrates limit of either 170kg/ha or 250kg/ha, including:

  • Reducing livestock numbers;
  • Renting additional land;
  • Exporting enough slurry/farmyard manure and declaring the movement online.

Up until today, farmers could only view N and P statements for the period of January 1 to October 31, 2022 but the extended period can now be viewed on the agfood website.

DAFM also issued a reminder to farmers about the closing date of March 31, 2023, for Nitrates Derogation 2023 applications.

Farmers who applied for a derogation in 2022 are also reminded that they must submit fertiliser accounts for 2022 by the closing date of March 31, 2022.