The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has offered advice to farmers whose slurry tanks are full as a result of the prolonged housing of livestock.
The department acknowledged that the current weather conditions are “very challenging” and are putting pressure on farmers in certain areas.
“Where slurry tanks are full, farmers should look to opportunities to apply small volumes of slurry on their driest and most suitable fields,” a DAFM spokesperson told Agriland.
They added that care should be taken to maintain the maximum buffer zone possible, not to spread slurry too close to drains and rivers and to avoid waterlogged soil and periods when heavy rain is forecast.
“Where the option to land spread is not available, farmers should look to exporting slurry to other tanks,” they said.
Slurry
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities are responsible for the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters (GAP) Regulations.
“If the options outlined above are not viable, the farmer should contact their local authority to examine other safe options, prior to taking action,” the DAFM spokesperson added.
Around 66% of drystock farmers who recently took part in a Teagasc survey said that slurry storage was becoming an issue on their yards.
Along with full slurry tanks, Teagasc said that dwindling fodder supplies on some farms and the heavy spring workload were combining to make it a particularly challenging spring.
The National Fodder and Food Committee (NFFSC) is due to again at 11:00a.m tomorrow (Tuesday, April 9) to assess the most up to date situation across the country and examine the supports being offered to farmers.
Met Éireann have also been invited to provide an update on the weather outlook for the days ahead.
Meanwhile, the department of agriculture is currently examining a scheme to facilitate the long-distance movement of fodder.
As the wet weather persists, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has asked his officials to work on a scheme similar to 2018 which brought fodder to farmers in need.
It is understood that a new scheme, which will be rolled out by the department if needed, could also involve co-ops around the country.