the journal this week

These rule changes all seem very blunt instruments to me. With the remote monitoring capability they have these days, they can see to within a foot where slurry has been spread. Surely with good weather forecasting, a system could be come up with where you could have a green light for spreading in certain areas at certain times of the year. And monitor that and throw the effing book at anyone who abuses it. There are weeks in August that are wetter than weeks in November. Just seems very blunt and dumbass. The idea to subsidise protected urea is crayon colouring book policy. There are other ways to reduce nitrogen use, that are simple and cultural, like clover and mss. Subsidising slurry seperation would be a better thing surely. Sometimes I think there has been a dept. brain drain, or they are struggling to keep up.
I had big hopes for this round of nitrates and had an expectation that the Department of Ag would do the correct thing to reduce leakage.

But it looks like the Lads from Upper Merrion Street were on the phone to same as.
 
Only reason lads are spreading during closed periods is because they dont have enough storage. It would not take a lot for department to look up who has expanded cattle number wise in last 5 years for example and inspect them to check if they have enough storage. Should be part of area aid form, a section on how much storage you have and marked on maps where and if inspected and it does not match up then a heavy penalty.
 
I had big hopes for this round of nitrates and had an expectation that the Department of Ag would do the correct thing to reduce leakage.

But it looks like the Lads from Upper Merrion Street were on the phone to same as.
Do you reckon all the top dogs in the Department are D4 pen pushers?
 
Only reason lads are spreading during closed periods is because they dont have enough storage. It would not take a lot for department to look up who has expanded cattle number wise in last 5 years for example and inspect them to check if they have enough storage. Should be part of area aid form, a section on how much storage you have and marked on maps where and if inspected and it does not match up then a heavy penalty.
A lad around here imported pig slurry and spread it in the closed period he had enough storage for his own cattle but not for his imported slurry, there will always be people that will break the law, the more I see of what some lads are up to I can only assume someone in the department has their back.
 
So what's your answer to this conundrum for farmers?
How can we achieve reductions in emissions while keeping farming?
Trust us would be a start. And throw the book at the messers. These rules have taken away the farmers judgement and honestly in doing the thing right. You take zone a which is a big block of ground and add the extra amount of tankers in the country now to compared to before the bans came in alot of slurry is going out at once. An adding to storage is not going to do much. With all the maps and technology that's about why they can't allow X amount of slurry to be spread on ground that can carry it in what is the closed period, weather permitting of course instead of the flush of slurry at once.
 
Our nitrogen use efficiency NUE is chronic from applied bag N. Liquid is one way of reducing it, adding humate or buffering with organic material is another way. @Hardysplicer (cuts me a little to write that) had been working hard on an N product that was coated with a seaweed extract that allowed up to 20% reduced rates, with NO REDUCTION in yield, and there is trial work to back it. Why not make that compulsory?????? But no, protected urea will save us. The laziness in policy making and solution seeking is starting to rot my hole a bit. I have my suspicions that the nub of the problem is that when someone is making up regs and statutory instruments with huge commercial effects, they get on the phone to a research agency that is STILL in many areas, way behind the curve. Excuse my ranting, still have peas to cut.:taz:
 
Our nitrogen use efficiency NUE is chronic from applied bag N. Liquid is one way of reducing it, adding humate or buffering with organic material is another way. @Hardysplicer (cuts me a little to write that) had been working hard on an N product that was coated with a seaweed extract that allowed up to 20% reduced rates, with NO REDUCTION in yield, and there is trial work to back it. Why not make that compulsory?????? But no, protected urea will save us. The laziness in policy making and solution seeking is starting to rot my hole a bit. I have my suspicions that the nub of the problem is that when someone is making up regs and statutory instruments with huge commercial effects, they get on the phone to a research agency that is STILL in many areas, way behind the curve. Excuse my ranting, still have peas to cut.:taz:
Would it be the case they want to take the intensity out of farming? Rather then seek solutions to maintain production
 
Are there any sanctions for a contractor who is found to be spreading outside the closed period?
Our piping lad said he asked a dept man a few yrs ago and was told that the contractor is not responsible if its in the closed period.

I would have thought the contractor would have got a wrap on the knuckles aswell for physically doing the job in the closed job.

Something else I didnt know either was a farmer and a digger driver can be find for cleaning out drains with water in them from march 1st til August 31st due to " possible nesting birds and frogs spawning and damaging their habitat "...
Teagasc person said that to me a few years ago and a plant hire man that @muckymanor worked for got into a bit of a handling with it
 
A few years ago there was savage dry weather after the new year.
It was said locally that if you rang the department told them your tanks were nearly full and the ground conditions were very very good then they checked out the case and gave you a yes or no answer.
This could be total shite tho I don't know
 
How close to final do people think that these new rules are at this stage?
End of year, I'd say.

There's a consultation going on now and then comes the discussion, the revised plans, the pointing out difficulties with the revised plans and possible solutions to them and then then the final submission to the EU for approval.
 
A few years ago there was savage dry weather after the new year.
It was said locally that if you rang the department told them your tanks were nearly full and the ground conditions were very very good then they checked out the case and gave you a yes or no answer.
This could be total shite tho I don't know
Was also told it's a sure way of getting an inspection as you don't have enough storage
 
Are there any sanctions for a contractor who is found to be spreading outside the closed period?

Contractor will be prosecuted by the council if they are negligent. Contractors and all operating machinery for them, are supposed to know the rules regarding slurry spreading periods, buffer strips and so on. A contractor cant use the excuse - that the farmer told them to do it.

All above, depends on how stringent a local authority your operating in.
 
Contractor will be prosecuted by the council if they are negligent. Contractors and all operating machinery for them, are supposed to know the rules regarding slurry spreading periods, buffer strips and so on. A contractor cant use the excuse - that the farmer told them to do it.

All above, depends on how stringent a local authority your operating in.
Has a contractor ever actually been prosecuted by a County Council for spreading slurry during the closed period
 
Has a contractor ever actually been prosecuted by a County Council for spreading slurry during the closed period
I can't say, actually nearly certain a slurry pipe contractor was taken to court in my County

I'm not going to say any more on the subject, for personal reasons 🙄
 
Back
Top