Ensure your farmyard is tidy, repair gutters and downpipes
Repair guttering and downpipes on all sheds to ensure clean water is not mixing with dirty water.
Check for any cracked concrete, or yards that need to be repaired (small cracks in silage slabs may be repaired with bitumen).
Check all bedded sheds to ensure no seepage is occurring.
Check also for over-flowing water troughs.
With nitrates inspections ongoing, fertiliser is an important current cross compliance area.
All farmers are required to have a fertiliser plan for the farm by Mar each year.
Fertiliser records must be completed for the previous year by Mar 31 (and kept ready on the farm, in case of inspections).
Keep your N and P statement from the Department on file, and details of any fertiliser used in 2011, and concentrate used in 2010.
Derogation farmers must submit application forms to the Nitrates Section, DAFM, Johnstown Castle by Mar 31.
But derogation fertiliser plans also need to be on your farm by Mar 1.
If you applied for a derogation in 2011, your fertiliser records for last year must be submitted to the Nitrates Sections, DAFM, Johnstown Castle by Mar 31.
For the 2011 record sheets, dockets are needed for fertiliser in 2011, and concentrate used in 2010. (Copies of dockets/receipts are sufficient) All documentation sent to the Department must be by registered post or Swiftpost. Keep copies for your records, which should also include all N and P statements.
Derogation farms must be soil sampled every four years.
