Farmers reminded of silage bale storage requirements
Richard Fleming of Fleming Agricultural Contractors Ltd draws silage for Timoleague-based dairy farmer Finbarr Griffin, using a brand new Fuzion 4 baler and a John Deere 6150R tractor at the end of April. Picture: Andy Gibson
As the main silage-making season begins, farmers are being reminded by the Department of Agriculture of silage bale storage requirements.
As of this year, silage bales, including dry matter silage or haylage, can only be stored a maximum of two bales high, in the absence of adequate facilities for the collection and storage of any effluent that may arise.
Silage bales must also continue to be stored at least 20m from surface water or a drinking water abstraction point, as required under the previous regulations. These requirements also apply to the storage of haylage.
Farmers with low dry matter silage bales should consider whether it is appropriate to stack their bales up to two high in the absence of appropriate effluent collection facilities.
These requirements are a result of the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations 2022, known as the 'GAP Regulations', which give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to the Nitrates Action Programme.
The GAP Regulations provide a set of measures to ensure the protection of waters including drinking water sources against pollution caused by nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural sources.
The set of measures also provides some safeguards against possible harmful impacts to water quality arising from agricultural activity, including the storage of silage bales.
