Important flexibility under the National Liming Programme 2023 has been announced by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue today (Friday, October 6).
The programme is supported as a once-off Ukraine funded measure from the National Exchequer, with the deadline for invoices marked paid on October 31, 2023.
However, flexibility is now being introduced to allow lime delivery and spreading after the claim has been submitted. Such lime can be spread up to March 31, 2024.
The liming programme was introduced earlier this year to incentivise the use of lime to correct soil acidity, make nutrients more available for plant uptake, and improve overall soil health.
National Liming Programme
The minister said he recognises that that weather conditions during 2023 resulted in significant challenges to the spreading of lime which diminished opportunities to avail of this support.
“To address this challenge, I am today providing important flexibility for farmers that purchase lime in 2023 but spread it when ground conditions are more optimum which could be into early 2024.
“This will allow latitude to farmers to purchase lime but await delivery and spreading until conditions allow, with the latest date for spreading being March 31, 2024,” Minister McConalogue said.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) will accept claims up to October 31, based on receipts marked paid, but without confirmation of spreading having been completed.
For farmers who avail of the extended spreading deadline, further checks will be carried out in spring 2024 to verify that lime has been spread, the DAFM said.
This would involve additional documentation from the farmer showing that lime has been delivered. Correct invoices marked “paid” need to be submitted to allow payments issue promptly.
Aid under the National Liming Programme 2023 will be paid at a rate of €16/t of calcium ground limestone/magnesium (dolomitic) ground limestone delivered and spread.
To qualify for payment, all ground limestone purchased under this measure must meet the set out specifications and must be purchased directly from a licenced quarry.
A list of licenced quarries, as well as quarries operating outside the state, and the terms and conditions for the programme are available on the department website.