A contentious vet medicines and fertilisers bill will mean farmers or their agents will have to register as a “professional fertiliser end user” if they want to buy supplies for professional use, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has told the Dáil.
Minister Charlie McConalogue has promised this will be “a simple process and will only be required once”.
The minister has said he expects the “vast majority” of those who will have to register to most likely be farmers.
The new procedure for buying fertiliser was just one of the potential impacts on farmers outlined by the Minister McConalogue during the latest Dáil debate on the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023.
The minister for agriculture told TDs yesterday (Tuesday, February 14) that the proposed vet medicines and fertilisers bill seeks to “modernise the area of veterinary medicines and medicated feed” and will also establish “a national fertiliser database which will collect data on import, sale, supply and use of fertilisers”.
He said: “The bill, when enacted, will also enable the collection and processing of information on the import, manufacture, sale, supply and use of fertiliser in the state.
“It will enable data related to fertilisers and lime to be collected from the point of import into the state, or manufacture for sale, to an end user.
“The Climate Action Plan 2023, Food Vision 2030 and the EU farm to fork strategy have all set ambitious targets to reduce fertiliser use including reducing emissions associated with chemical fertiliser use by more than 50% by the end of this decade.”
National database
The minister also said that the recording of fertiliser sales data at farm level would support “traceability and monitoring of quantities and types of fertiliser used over time”.
“The data captured in the database will provide a solid basis for future policy interventions to support our environment and climate ambitions.
“It will assist farmers in improving nutrient use efficiency on their farms, thereby contributing to the key targets on fertiliser use under the Climate Action Plan, and will facilitate improved compliance with nitrogen and phosphorous limits,” he added.
Nitrates derogation
According to the minister, information from the database will also be used by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and over time all their checks that previously involved examining paper records supplied by farmers will be completed using the database.
“This will significantly reduce the administrative burden that would otherwise be placed on farmers.
“Establishing the database will also meet a commitment that Ireland made during negotiations with the European Commission to secure the current extension to Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
“At this stage all EU member states availing of a nitrates derogation have set up, or are in the process of setting up, a national fertiliser database,” the minister said.
He said all professional fertiliser end users will have to submit details about stocks on their farms or premises on dates to be agreed.
Under the terms of the new bill, non-farmer, professional fertiliser end users will also have to apply to the DAFM for registration and will be assigned a unique identification number.
“The purchase and use of fertiliser in quantities sufficient for use on football fields and their environs is considered as a commercial use and sports clubs will be required to register as professional fertiliser end users,” Minister McConalogue said.
But he added non-professional gardeners would not be impacted by the new legislation.
However, businesses or any individual selling fertiliser will also have to register with the DAFM and will also be required to submit information to the national database.
According to the chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine a new national fertiliser database is “essential” for Ireland to maintain its nitrates derogation.
Fianna Fáil Tipperary TD , Jackie Cahill, said the derogation is “hugely important” to intensive beef farmers and the dairy industry.
The Tipperary TD also believes a new fertiliser database is an “essential part of our fight against climate change”.
But Deputy Cahill and a number of TDS have warned that cross-border trade will be an “issue” in relation to the sale of fertiliser on the island.
Social Democrats Cork South-West TD Holly Cairns said there are concerns that the new database “could increase the administrative burden on fertiliser users”.
The DAFM has said the proposed new system will use an existing portal and that farmers can use their herd numbers.