The N and P (nitrogen and phosphorous) Statements for the period January to August 2019 are now available online, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced.

The information is available from today, Friday, October 18, on the department’s online system: www.agfood.ie.

In a statement, the department said: “These statements are particularly useful as they allow farmers to plan for the remainder of the year, in order to ensure compliance with the limits of the Nitrates Regulations.”

This will, according to the department, allow farmers to avoid “penalties for breaching the limit of 170kg of N/ha, or the 250kg of N/ha limit for those who hold an approved derogation”.

The department is also reminding farmers that all nitrate records forms for 2019 must be submitted to the nitrates section before December 31, 2019.

Farmers not already registered for agfood.ie can do so by logging onto: www.agfood.ie and clicking the ‘Register’ button. To register a mobile phone number for future SMS text alerts, click here.

UTP Directive

In other department-related news, Minister Michael Creed has announced the opening of a public consultation process on the transposition of the EU’s Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive into Irish law.

Commenting on this, the minister said: “I welcome this legislation. It is a significant step towards ensuring more fairness in the food chain for those producers who are particularly vulnerable to UTPs.

“It provides protection for farmers and small and mid-range businesses who have the least bargaining power and are least able to address UTPs without negative effects on their economic viability,” he added.