Organic manure suppliers must submit records by year’s end

One of the aims of the nitrates regulations is to encourage the efficient use of organic fertilisers (any fertiliser other than that manufactured industrially).

Each cubic metre of slurry/manure contains 4.2kg of total nitrogen (N) and 0.8kg of phosphorus (P) (unless another level of these nutrients is established, in compliance with Article 34 of the regulations).

The availability of nutrients in pig slurry is cited as 50% in total nitrogen, where the phosphorus is 100% available.

Where farmer customers have soil-test results showing phosphorus levels in Index 1 and 2, the phosphorus is deemed to be only 50% available.

This can increase the pig-slurry requirement on such soils. It is accepted that the potassium (K) is also 100% available in animal manure.

In the latest Teagasc pig e-newsletter, Gerard McCutcheon, Oak Park, advises that all farmers who supply organic manure/fertiliser to other farms are required to submit records to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, before December 31, 2014. This applies to any farmer who exports any “organic fertiliser” (which includes pig, bovine, sheep, or poultry manure) and is a requirement of the nitrates regulations (EC Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulation of 2014 — SI 31 of 2014).

The “exporting” holding must submit the farmers’ names who took manure, their herd number and the volume of manure taken by each farmer in 2014, on separate forms for each recipient farmer. The form (Form 3) must be counter-signed by the recipient farmer and by the farmer who “exports” the organic fertiliser.

Essentially, this is a summary of the volume taken by each recipient farmer of the Manure Register, which every farmer must record as per Article 23 (g) of SI 31 of 2014.

Record 3 Form (available from DAFM website) must include details of: — the total volumes of manure taken from your holding by each farmer, their herd number and address, the total nutrients in the manure exported (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus), and the signatures of the recipient farmer and the “exporting” farmer, confirming that these details are correct.

You should leave a copy of the signed form with the recipient farmer for his/her own records.

These forms must be forwarded to the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford.

They must be submitted by all farmers who “export” animal manure from their holding.

The only acceptable proof of postage will be swift-post receipt or registered-post receipt.

Don’t forget to do this before December 31, 2014!