The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has this week contacted dairy farmers who have not yet declared which nutrient excretion rate band is applicable to their herd’s dairy cows for 2024.
It is understood that DAFM has not yet received information relating to an estimated 3,000 herds.
According to the department, 81% of dairy farmers have declared their dairy herds’ nutrient excretion rate band for this year with DAFM.
DAFM detailed that 99% of these were via the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) portal, with 74% of submissions being made by accredited farm advisors on behalf of their clients.
DAFM
According to the department, it has now written to dairy farmers, who have not yet declared which nutrient excretion rate band is applicable to their herd’s dairy cows to advise of the consequences if they do not submit information via ICBF or directly to DAFM with a manual application by December 31, 2024.
DAFM has informed dairy farmers that if they do not provide the requested details their dairy cows “will be assigned to the highest excretion rate band for 2024” which it said is in line with previous years.
N&P statements
Separately last week, the department confirmed that cattle only nitrogen and phosphorus statements (N&P statements) for the period January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 are now available on DAFM’s online system, www.agfood.ie.
These statements are based on the current excretion rates for livestock as set out in the nitrates regulations.
Earlier this year DAFM said that it informed all farmers of proposed changes regarding excretion rates of young bovines and the possibility for dairy farmers to opt-in to gain recognition for managing the crude protein in the concentrates fed to their dairy cows.
These proposed changes can only apply when the environmental assessment process for the Interim Review of the fifth Nitrates Action Programme has concluded and the nitrates regulations have been amended.
As that environmental assessment process is still ongoing, these proposed changes have not been applied to the Interim Statement at this stage, according to DAFM.