Farmers to know cow bands soon

Each herd will be assigned to one of three bands each year.

“The science shows us, as milk yield increases, the cow's excretion rate will also increase.” 

It is expected that farmers will be informed of what nitrogen excretion rate band their herds fall into early in February.

From this year, banding of excretion rates for dairy cows has been introduced, which was something that the European Commission had asked Ireland “to consider and include in our Nitrates Action Programme”.