The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has announced that the deadline of July 1, for mandatory use of the department’s online system to record the movement of organic manures, is now extended to September 1, 2021.
The online system updates and from September 1, replaces the previous method of submitting paper Record 3 Forms.
Farmers are reminded that the deadline to declare movements is October 31, 2021 for those who applied for a nitrates derogation, and December 31, 2021 for all other farmers.
DAFM online system for manures
The department’s online system for recording movements of organic manures will also update the department’s nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) statements for each farmer periodically through the year.
This will allow them see the effect an export / import has on their overall (cattle only) N and P levels.
A short video demonstrating how to use the system is now available on the department’s website.
DAFM has also announced that nitrogen and phosphorus statements for January to May 2021 (cattle only) are now available on the Department’s online system www.agfood.ie.
These statements are useful to allow farmers to plan for the coming year and to ensure compliance with the limits of the Nitrates Regulations.
It will help farmers avoid penalties for breaching the limits of 170kg of N/ha or the limit for those who hold an approved derogation is 250kg of N/ha.
Nitrates review
A second public consultation on the review of the Nitrates Action Programme is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has said.
At present, both that department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are working on a consultation document, which will be published jointly by both Minister Charlie McConalogue and Minister Darragh O’Brien in the near future.
An initial public consultation was launched on the review of the Nitrates Action Programme on November 25, 2020.