Home News Slurry spreading flexibility welcomed

Slurry spreading flexibility welcomed

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has welcomed the introduction of the slurry spreading flexibility scheme for autumn 2017

It was announced this week by Minister Eoghan Murphy, T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

FCI, whose headquarters are in Portlaoise, has been concerned about the huge farm safety pressures that its members were being put under in recent weeks, as they strived to meet the October 15 deadline for their farmer client customers.

Richard White, national chair or the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has welcomed the slurry flexibility scheme, which allows FCI members to provide sustainable slurry management programmes to their farmer clients that recognises the weather impacts and nutrient loads on Irish farms.

“This new flexibility approach provides our contractor members with scope to make sensible decisions in association with their farmer clients.

“We welcome the fact that the Departments of Agriculture and Environment have finally recognised our concerns for animal welfare and operator safety arising from the huge pressures being exerted on contractors and their operator teams, to meet the October 15 deadline following a prolonged period of heavy rainfall in specific parts of the country,” he said.

“We will support farmers who cannot spread slurry ahead of the October 15 deadline due to heavy rainfall in parts of the country, in their applications to avail of local slurry spreading flexibility,” he said.

FCI urges all contractors to advise their farmer customers with such concerns, that they should immediately contact the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) at 053-9163444 or by emailing nitrates@agriculture.gov.ie with details of the flooding/trafficability situation, their herd number and other relevant data,” added Mr White.

Toxic

FCI supports the message from both Departments that safety is the number one priority at slurry spreading as toxic gases are released when slurry is agitated and one breath at this time can cause instant death.

FCI urges all members working with slurry to work safely at all times.

“Farm Contractors in Ireland provide sustainable management and land-spreading services for more than 10 billion litres of animal slurry on Irish farms, annually,” he says.

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) and its membership accepts that within the new flexibility scheme, all land-spreading activities of animal slurries are conditional on weather and ground conditions being suitable as set out in the existing regulations.

“FCI is advising its 1,100 member database that livestock manures or any fertilisers may not be land-spread when, for example, land is waterlogged, flooded or likely to flood, frozen or if heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours,” said Mr White.

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