Farmers don’t want to spread slurry on valuable grass

Farmers forced by nitrates rules to spread slurry on valuable grass this autumn have called for flexibility in the rules.

Agriculture and Environment Ministers Simon Coveney and Phil Hogan have been asked to immediately assure farmers that if trafficability and soil nutrient demand improve, an extension will be granted to the period during which chemical and organic fertilisers can be spread.

In most southern counties, it is prohibited to spread chemical fertiliser from September 15 to mid-January, and to spread slurry from October 15 to mid-January.