Minister Relaxes Deadline For Slurry
IRELAND - Steps have been taken by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan to ease the difficulties that the heavy rainfall this summer has created for Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) farmers trying to spread slurry.Under the scheme, all slurry produced on the farm was supposed to be spread by the end of August. But as a special measure for this year, the minister has relaxed that condition.
She said REPS farmers would be allowed to spread slurry up to the same deadlines that applied under the Nitrates Regulations to all other farmers.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association vice president John Barron, who welcomed the move, said Rural Environment Protection Scheme farmers would be allowed an extension to the deadline for slurry spreading to October 15 for this year only.
Continuous rain over the past three months had made slurry spreading all but impossible on most land. Consequently, the normal REPS deadline of August 31 could not be adhered to by the majority of farmers without damaging soil structure and the environment, he said.