Slurry spreading laws in Ireland
By Kalvin Hopkins & Thomas Atkinson
Slurry spreading is a busy operation for farmers it takes a long time to get all the slurry out of the tanks and onto the ground to grow grass for our livestock so they can produce meat and dairy products. There are currently laws in Ireland saying farmers can only spread slurry at certain times and dates. Slurry spreading is prohibited during winter in Ireland to comply with the Nitrates Directive. Depending on where in the country you live, the open dates are from January to September and usually the closed period is October/ November. We do not agree with these legislations
We believe that farmers should be allowed to spread slurry on dry mild days all year long to prevent slurry being washed into rivers or streams. Famers are not happy with the ban about the slurry spreading dates at the moment . Slurry tanks are always full in December and they are not able to get the slurry out of the tanks. Then when the farmers are allowed to spread slurry the wet weather in January stops the farmers from spreading. This specific time period to spread will lead to a farmer rushing to get jobs done and this may lead to potential stress which isn’t good for the farmer’s mental health.