Too much nitrogen on the land costs Cork farmer his annual single farm payment

The Department of Agriculture’s records indicated that in 2013, the amount of nitrogen from livestock manure applied to land on the farm (including that deposited by animals), was 323 kgs per hectare, which exceeded the limit of 250 kgs per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations for farmers with an approved derogation.
As similar breaches under the Nitrates Regulations had been identified within the previous three years, a final penalty of 100% was applied against the 2013 Direct Schemes payments, in accordance with rules for repeated cross-compliance breaches.