Plea to plan ahead on slurry

Ireland: Livestock farmers have been advised by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) to assess their slurry storage requirements under the nitrates action programme and submit the appropriate planning applications as early as possible.

ICMSA Farm Services and Environment Committee chairperson Conor Creedon said the slurry spreading closed period will be phased in.

But it is a requirement from 2006 onwards that no slurry be landspread for November and December.

“Some farmers may think they have until 2008 to install their storage requirements, when, in fact, they might have insufficient storage in place for 2006,” he said.