Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has warned that changing the deadline for spreading slurry and fertiliser would be a "big decision".

There have been several calls for the beginning of the close period for fertiliser and slurry spreading to be moved back due to unsuitably dry weather conditions in recent weeks.

The close period for spreading chemical fertiliser begins on September 15, while the close period for slurry spreading begins on October 1.

Among those calling for these dates to be put back is the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), which said that its members have seen a reduction in hours of work for most farm contracting activities during the summer.

Minister Heydon, while insisting that "everything remains on the table", outlined some of the challenges to moving back the spreading dates.

Speaking to Agriland today (Friday, August 28) at the launch of the Organic Beef and Lamb Innovation Group (OBLIG), Minister Heydon said: "I said very clearly in terms of the drought in certain parts of the country, and the potential knock on implications for fodder supply for the winter, is everything remains on the table.

"We have a deadline for the application of chemical fertiliser, September 15, and of organic manure and slurry on October 1. It would be a big decision to move those dates," he added.

"There are a lot of things to weight up in that as well, and water quality obviously is something that is hugely important to farmers as well," the minister said.

He added that he "would be very keen to separate chemical from organic...they're two different things".

According to Minister Heydon, if some animals were already housed, and the slurry tanks were filling, that would be a factor to take under consideration.

"If farmers have animals housed now, that means there's slurry in the tanks, then that is a consideration," he said.

However, the minister added: "But we don't know what the ground conditions will be like come late September."

He said that if both he and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Brown (who oversees the operation of the Nitrates Directive) were to consider moving the dates, it would "only be in a scenario where conditions were good".

"So my advice to people, who have slurry to apply, would be, you know the timelines, when the ground conditions are right, apply it as you would before," Minister Heydon said.