A one-week extension to the application deadline for nitrates derogation has been welcomed by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will now accept applications until midnight on Friday, April 22.
Last month, the EU Commission granted an extension to Ireland’s nitrates derogation until 2025. The derogation allows more intensive farmers to operate at a higher stocking rate than that stipulated in the Nitrates Directive.
IFA environment chair, Paul O’Brien, said this will provide much-needed time for farmers wishing to apply for a derogation to gather and prepare the information required to submit the online application.
He said that farmers should take the time to familiarise themselves with the detailed conditions set out in the terms and conditions of the 2022 Nitrates Derogation with regard to nutrient management; soil testing and management; manure management; training requirements; grassland management; and biodiversity enhancement.
“There are nearly 40 measures that farmers need to comply with,” he said.
“There is a strong focus on nutrient management planning and nutrient-use efficiency which has been shown to be critically important in improving water quality from agricultural pressures,” he said.
Criteria for nitrates derogation
For an application to be valid, all terms and conditions of the derogation must be adhered to, some of which are listed below:
- An annual application must be made online to the DAFM. No postal applications will be accepted;
- Farming a holding that is at least 80% grass. Have grazing livestock – a derogation is only available in respect of grazing livestock;
- All slurry applied on derogation holdings must be applied only using low-emission equipment;
- Commonage and rough grazing will not be eligible for the derogation allowance of 250kg nitrogen per hectare. Chemical fertiliser calculations on commonages/rough grazing will be limited to the ≤170kg nitrogen per hectare allowances;
- Clover must be incorporated where grass is being sown;
- Grass measurement and recording must be undertaken or training in grassland management attended;
- Environmental training must be attended;
- A liming programme must be adopted;
- A biodiversity measure from the All Ireland pollinator plan must be undertaken;
- Maximum rates have been established for the percentage of crude protein in dairy rations;
- A derogation holding must have sufficient storage for all livestock manure and soiled water produced on the holding.
The IFA environment chair noted that farmers who applied for a nitrates derogation in 2021 must submit fertiliser accounts by the revised closing date of April 22.