Around 3,000 farmers are facing into reducing organic nitrogen stocking rates to be compliant with the changes in the maximum stocking rate under the nitrates derogation.
Changes in the derogation mean that many farmers now can only stock their farm to a maximum of 220kg of organic nitrogen (N)/ha.
The vast majority of the farms impacted by this are dairy farms, and they now have to figure out a way of reducing the organic stocking rate on their farms.
Speaking at the future solutions event held by Eurogene in Trim, Co. Meath, James Dunne from Teagasc outlined some of the options available to dairy farmers impacted by the reduction in stocking rates.
Nitrates derogation
Dunne outlined a number of options for dairy farmers, but also noted that it is important for every farmers to access the situation on their farm.
Options that were outlined by Dunne included
- Questions all stock on the farm;
- Exporting slurry;
- Contract rearing;
- Additional land;
- Changing bands.
Many of these options have been looked at before, but the question around additional stock on the farm that are using up organic nitrogen and not adding to the profitability of the farm was discussed in some depth.
Commenting, he said: “When milk price was good, the option everyone would have jumped on was looking for more land and we heard about the prices being given for land.
“But before we get to that, these farms have two options – firstly you are going to try and reduce your overall organic nitrogen or your going to bring in additional land.
“Any of those measures are going to be individual to every farm, it may not be one measure it may be a combination of measures.”
Question all stock
Dunne said that first thing that farmers need to do is question all the animals currently on the farm.
“Is there surplus heifers being produced, is there a need for those surplus heifers being carried on the farm.
“Not only are they increase our organic nitrogen, they are also a cost on the system.”
He also noted that there is still a high percentage of heifers not calving down at two year olds: “That is massive in terms of actual total organic nitrogen that is being produced by your replacement enterprise.
“If you are calving heifers down 30, 32, 36 months, they are taking from amount of organic nitrogen that is available for milking cows on the farm.”
Dunne explained that a heifer that calves down at two years of age contributes 80kg of organic nitrogen to the farm, while the same heifer calving 30 months the nitrogen contribution increases to over 100kg.
This is an additional 20kg of organic nitrogen/replacement unit that has to be carried in the herd.
“That is significant, when we look at the stats only around 68-69% of heifers calving down at two year old nationally.
“That is a third of heifers that are adding extra nitrogen to the system, along with the additional rearing cost.”
Dunne said that Teagasc have looked at some farms that are significantly impacted by the changes to the nitrates derogation.
He said that almost half of these farmer nitrates issues was solved by correcting the extra stock issue such as additional heifers in the system, not calving at two year old and alternative enterprises.
Dunne said that on some farms, the stock will not be an issue and that stock that is there will be need to run the enterprise.
Other options will then need to be explored to offset some organic nitrogen.