Some farmers importing slurry under the 70% grant aid for slurry storage – which was announced in Budget 2024 – will have to carry out soil sampling as part of the conditions of the aid.
The European Commission has approved an amendment to Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan, allowing the inclusion of the new Nutrient Importation Storage Scheme (NISS) under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
The scheme is aimed at providing additional storage facilities on farm for managing the importation of organic fertiliser.
It will provide support of 70% of the investment cost for slurry storage infrastructure, with an investment ceiling of €90,000 per holding, or a ceiling of up to €160,000 for partnership applications.
Under the eligibility conditions of the NISS, farmers must have a contract in place to import nutrients – in the form of organic fertiliser – which should declare the volume of organic fertiliser to be imported.
Holdings with a grassland stocking rate greater than 130kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare will be required to undertake soil sampling in line with the requirements of the Nitrates Action Programme. All sown arable land will also be subject to this requirement.
The purpose of this is to ensure appropriate application of nutrients in line with crop needs where organic fertiliser is being moved between holdings.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told Agriland: “Ireland requested the addition of this scheme in the CSP to address water quality issues, air quality and climate adaptation.
“The scheme aims to encourage farmers to create additional buffer storage capacity to limit inappropriate organic nutrient spreading, especially given more recent unpredictable weather patterns.”
“The NISS will help for the transfer of nutrients to holdings with most demand, thereby reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and mitigating the risk of nitrates leeching and/or phosphorus run-off through the removal of excess nutrients,” the spokesperson added.
In seeking approval from the commission, Ireland argued that an improved distribution of nutrients across Irish farms, combined with good nutrient storage management and targeted, timely use will improve environmental and economic sustainability, and has the potential to reduce reliance on imported chemical fertilisers.
The scheme is targeted at those farmers with a deficit of organic fertiliser, such as non-livestock holdings.
“It is expected to have a positive impact on water quality as well as improving soil health and biology. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions through facilitating a reduction in use of chemical fertiliser use,” the commission spokesperson said.