Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture and rural development, Martin Kenny, has written to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine requesting him to extend the October 1st slurry spreading deadline.
Farmers are increasingly under pressure to empty slurry tanks before the October deadline due to the unpredictability of weather of late, which has delayed harvests and slurry spreading.
Deputy Kenny said: “Today, I have written to the minister asking him to extend the deadline for spreading slurry beyond the end of September.
“Of course no one can control the weather, however the minister does have the ability to control the slurry spreading deadline.
“An extension to the current deadline would allow our farmers some much-needed time to get their tanks emptied and ready for the coming winter,” he added.
He referenced the severe impact that poor weather conditions had on farming this summer and urged the government to consider these impacts in deliberations to extend the slurry deadline.
An extended deadline would alleviate some of the pressures farmers are currently facing when it comes to scheduling various farm management practices during tight time constraints, Sinn Féin has said.
“Irish farming is continuously battling against the weather, and the last 12 months
have been exceptionally challenging,” Kenny continued.
“Farmers need to get their sheds ready for housing livestock for the winter. The minister and the department are duty-bound to support them, and in that regard I would implore them to assist our farmers by extending the deadline for spreading slurry while the weather permits it.”
Some farmers may be entitled to extend the deadline to October 15 in exceptional circumstances, provided they meet certain pre-defined scientific criteria sanctioned by a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) official.
These circumstances may relate to weather conditions, grass growth, proximity to water sources and individual farm drainage pathways.
Meanwhile, this coming Sunday, September 15, marks the closing date for the application of chemical fertilisers in the country while farmyard manure can be spread across the country up until November 1.