The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has released its Nitrogen and Phosphorus (N&P) Statements for the first nine months of the year.

The department uploaded the statements onto its online system; registered users can see them by going to: www.agfood.ie.

The department says that these reports are useful for farmers looking to plan for the remainder of the year, and for ensuring that the limits of the Nitrate Regulations are observed.

The ordinary limit is 170kg of nitrogen per hectare, or 250kg/ha if you have an approved derogation or exemption.

The department warns that penalties apply if those limits are breached.

The limits are tied to cattle numbers. Farmers who exceed the end-of-year limits will receive a letter from the department informing them of the breach in regulations.

Farmers who end up being over the limit, or close to it, can apply for a derogation which will exempt them from the lower limit.

Any farmer not already registered can sign up by visiting www.agfood.ie and clicking the ‘Register’ button.

You can also apply to receive text message alerts from the department. To do so, go to https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/contactsupdates/.

You can also contact a regional department office to sign up for the text alerts.