Revised rules for nitrate spreading ‘will aid Ireland’s agri-food sector’

Farmers have welcomed increases to set-back distances from surface water for the spreading of organic matter, unveiled as part of the review of Ireland’s second Nitrate Action Programme.

The revised proposal means nitrates can now only come within 10 metres of water in the two weeks prior to and the two weeks after those periods when slurry spreading is prohibited. The previous limit was five metres.

A two-metre uncultivated, unsown zone near surface water is introduced for tillage crops, excluding grassland establishment.