The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that it will convene a meeting of stakeholders “in the coming weeks” to discuss plans for a new National Feed Database.
At the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group’s meeting on the December 15, 2023, in response to points raised by stakeholders, the department committed to the establishment of a Working Group in early 2024 to scope out development of such a database.
DAFM has stressed: “This working group will be separate to, and distinct from, the Water Quality Working Group, although there may be some members that are common to both.”
It is part of DAFM’s effort to improve water quality and reduce nutrient surplus which also included the announcement of a new National Fertiliser Database last year.
Feed database
The Nitrates Expert Group had discussed setting up a feed database in the medium-term at its autumn meeting.
The group is chaired jointly by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and DAFM.
It comprises senior scientific experts from DHLGH and DAFM, and is supported by technical experts on water quality and agriculture from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Teagasc.
Ireland’s current (Fifth) Nitrates Action Programme concludes in 2025.A formal interim review took place last year, during the period of the fifth NAP.
The final review of the overall fifth NAP will start this year, to inform the development of the sixth NAP.
The measures in the NAP are intended to help Ireland to meet its climate, biodiversity and water quality targets set at both national and EU level.
Fertiliser database
The National Fertiliser Database was set up for registration of professional fertiliser end users (farmers and others fertiliser users), and fertiliser economic operators (importers and merchants that sell fertilisers).
As of September 2023 anyone selling or purchasing fertiliser (including lime) must be registered on agfood.ie.
Farmers involved in the import of fertiliser, farm-to-farm transfers, and/or retail sale of fertiliser were also required to register as fertiliser economic operators.
Over 90,000 farmers had registered by September 1 last year when the database was set up.