The number of approved lime suppliers on the licenced list provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is “too small” according to an agricultural advisor in Co. Cavan.
Oliver Crowe of C.C Agricultural Consultants addressed farmers at a meeting organised by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) in Co. Leitrim last night (Tuesday, March 21).
A new National Liming Programme was launched last week to help farmers “offset part of the expense of using lime”.
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, the key objective of the programme is to support farmers to deal with input costs and also help them reduce the need for artificial fertilisers.
To qualify for payment, lime can only be purchased directly from quarries licenced by the DAFM to manufacture and market liming materials. There are currently 45 quarries on the DAFM list.
Olive Crowe told the ICSA meeting last night: “The list [of lime suppliers] is very small. At the minute the likes of McCaffrey’s Quarries, those boys are not on the list. The nearest quarry in Cavan is up in Kingscourt.
“So there are very small numbers of quarries on the department list. That’s not the department’s fault necessarily. Quarries need to get onto the department to get themselves added to the list.”
According to the agricultural advisor, the programme lists a minimum requirement of 10t of lime and a maximum of 200t of lime with a €16/t subsidy and a maximum of 3t/ac.
Farmers will also be required to provide valid soil samples which must have been taken within the previous four years.
Lime
Research carried out by Teagasc shows that liming not only increases soil microbial activity but can also unlock soil phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).
Trial results have also indicated that increasing soil pH to optimum levels leads to a significant reduction in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions while simultaneously increasing grass and other crop yields.
Estimates also show that soils with the correct pH will release up to 80kg of N/ha/yr.
As part of the National Liming Programme, the DAFM states that any ground limestone purchased before the date of submission of an application is ineligible.
Ground limestone invoiced and paid for on, or after, the date of submission of an application is eligible for consideration under the scheme.
Herdowners who are participating or intend to participate in the 2023 eco-scheme practice relating to soil sampling and liming are not eligible to participate in this programme.
Also, farmers who availed of a Nitrates Derogation in 2022 or 2023 and farmers with a grassland stocking rate above 170kg livestock manure nitrogen/ha prior to export in 2022, are ineligible to participate.
Only applicants that have submitted a Basic Payment scheme (BPS) application in 2022 and/or a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application in 2023 are eligible to apply.
The closing date for applications to the programme is Thursday, April 20, 2023.