The National Fertiliser Database will require “very little” additional work for most farmers and will provide a number of benefits, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has said.
The database is now open for registration of professional fertiliser end users (farmers and others fertiliser users), and fertiliser economic operators (importers and merchants that sell fertilisers).
The minister welcomed the launch of the database and encourages stakeholders to register. From September 1, anyone wishing to sell or purchase fertiliser (including lime) must be registered on agfood.ie.
Over the coming weeks the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will write to all farmers outlining the new requirements under the National Fertiliser Database.
DAFM officials will also have a stand at the National Ploughing Championships where individual queries will be answered and assistance with registration will be provided, the minister said.
Fertiliser database
The DAFM notes that those farmers involved in the import of fertiliser, farm-to-farm transfers, and/or retail sale of fertiliser must also register as fertiliser economic operators.
The tracking of fertiliser sales will contribute to the national targets to reduce fertiliser use and should encourage improved nutrient use efficiency, the DAFM said.
Each farmer will be able to view and download their records from the database if they wish, allowing them to easily verify their compliance with voluntary schemes or regulatory limits.
The database will significantly reduce the existing reporting burden for farmers availing of the Nitrates Derogation, and also benefit those participating in eco-scheme actions relating to fertiliser, or the use of lime, from 2024 onwards, the DAFM said.
The roll-out of the National Fertiliser Database is an “important milestone” and the culmination of a “huge effort” by the DAFM together with industry stakeholders, Minister McConalogue said.
Over the past 18 months, the DAFM and industry stakeholders progressed the legislation, the IT infrastructure and the communications plan needed to underpin the database, he added.