Latest news with #LandParcelIdentificationSystem
Agriland
4 days ago
- General
- Agriland
DAFM to begin issuing letters to farmers on derogation reduction
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is to begin writing to farmers who will be impacted by a reduction in the maximum allowable nitrogen (N) stocking rate under the nitrates derogation. In April, the department published a map highlighting which areas of the country that, from December 1 this year, will see the maximum allowable amount of N on the farm holding decrease from 250kgN/ha to 220kgN/kg. These areas are in addition to the large swathe of the country that reduced to that limit on January 1 of 2024. After publishing the map, the department said it was in the progress of identifying exactly which farmers are in these additional areas, and would therefore see a limit of 220kgN/ha apply from December 1 next. The department said the individualised letters would issue as soon as possible, to herds with stocking rates greater than 170kgN/ha in 2024 prior to exports, and those herds who applied for a nitrates derogation in 2023 or 2024 that have at least one Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) parcel that is moving to the 220kgN/ha derogation stocking rate limit from December. One letter, seen by Agriland, explains that, under the conditionality attached to Ireland's current nitrates derogation, the maximum nitrates derogation stocking rate is reducing to 220kgN/ha in some additional areas with effect from December 1, 2025. These additional areas are where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have identified a need for nitrate reduction measures 'as a priority' to improve water quality. The department explains that, if a farmer has land parcels that will be in the 220kgN/ha zone from December 1, then the stocking rate limit for that land for the whole year of 2025 become 247.5kgN/ha (250kgN/ha for 11 months and 220kgN/ha for one month). The letter states that any changes to land parcels submitted under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) in 2025 compared to last year will influence nitrates allowance. Farmers are advised to check this maximum stocking relate allowance if they have submitted alternative land under BISS this year, which can be done on an interactive map on the department's website. If a farmer has any part of a parcel within an area remaining at 250kgN/ha, then the whole parcel will remain at that higher limit rather than 220kgN/ha.
Agriland
19-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
2025 nitrates derogation: How many applications in your county?
Over 7,100 farmers have applied for the 2025 nitrates derogation, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed. In figures provided to Agriland, the department noted that 7,135 applications were received, including some manual applications. Manual applications are accepted where there is a change of entity taking place, or where a herd owner is awaiting a herd number to be issued by the department. All other applications for the nitrates derogation must be submitted online. The figures for this year are a decrease on the derogation application numbers for 2024, which were 7,238 (this figure reflected online applications only). In the figures provided by the department, the exact number of applications from counties with less than five application are withheld. This is to protect the confidentiality of the applicant, the department said. The department noted that these application figures may change as the process of validating applications takes place. The county-by-county breakdown of nitrates derogation applications for 2025 is as follows: County No. of applications Carlow 88 Cavan 136 Clare 71 Cork 2,115 Donegal 105 Dublin * Galway 185 Kerry 392 Kildare 75 Kilkenny 547 Laois 264 Leitrim * Limerick 446 Longford 26 Louth 89 Mayo 54 Meath 209 Monaghan 225 Offaly 173 Roscommon 15 Sligo 13 Tipperary 911 Waterford 378 Westmeath 103 Wexford 419 Wicklow 91 Total 7,135 Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine As can be seen, Co. Cork saw by far the most applications, with 2,115. This was followed by counties Tipperary, at 911, and Kilkenny, at 547. The figures for counties Dublin and Leitrim were not provided. Apart from those counties, the fewest applications came from counties Sligo (13), Roscommon (15), and Longford (26). The online application system for the 2025 nitrates derogation opened on March 20. Nitrates derogation stocking rate Over the last month, the department has been identifying farmers who will have to move to the lower nitrates derogation stocking rate of 220kg livestock manure nitrogen (N) per hectare from December. The department said this was to 'facilitate' the issuing of individualised letters to 'potentially impacted nitrates derogation applicants of their whole farm organic nitrogen limit for 2025'. The letters were being issued to herds with stocking rates greater than 170kgN/ha in 2024 (prior to slurry exports), and those herds that applied for a nitrates derogation in 2023 or 2024 that have at least one Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) parcel that is moving to the 220kgN/ha derogation stocking rate limit from December 2025. The department also published the maximum nitrates derogation stocking rate limits map for 2025. 'This map has been provided to communicate the maximum information currently available to facilitate planning by farmers and their advisors,' the department said at the time.
