‘Ban on November slurry spreading is nonsense’ says ICSA president

BARRING slurry spreading in November when the weather has been ideal is nonsense, said Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) president Gabriel Gilmartin.

The ICSA leader said the good weather since the start of November highlights the stupidity of farming by calendar dates. Farmers are frustrated that they were permitted to spread slurry in September and October when conditions were unsuitable, but are now barred.

Mr Gilmartin said: “This whole fiasco again highlights how the Nitrates rules are not in tune with reality when it comes to slurry spreading. Apart from the need for ground conditions to be suitable for travelling, grass growth has continued throughout the autumn and there are no signs yet of severe frost that would end the grass-growing season.

“It’s all very well for a minister to refer to theory but there are real issues that need to be faced up to. In western counties cattle have been indoors now for a while and slatted tanks have to be emptied or there were will be real animal welfare issues.

“I am again calling on Minister Coveney and Minister Hogan to come together and find a realistic solution to this crisis in the short-term and to find a better way than rigid dates in the long-term. We’ve got to take the worry out of slurry.”

Mr Gilmartin has also reacted angrily to plans to use some of the Single Payment funds to replace state funding of the Suckler Welfare Scheme.

He said: “It is outrageous for the minister to be even thinking of applying further cuts to the Single Payment on top of the severe cuts caused by modulation.”