Clarity on slurry spreading guidelines

​The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) says that the poor ground conditions as a result of the wet weather, has made it nearly impossible to spread slurry safely on many farms across Northern Ireland and farmers are understandably concerned as the closed period deadline approaches on 15 October 2023.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Sep 2023, 14:00 BST
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​UFU president David Brown said: “We have been inundated with phone calls over the last number of days from distressed farmers, regarding spreading slurry before the closed period starts. With the wettest July on record, the unseasonably wet ground conditions have resulted in livestock being housed much earlier than anticipated and has hampered farmers getting machinery into fields to harvest crops, cut silage and get slurry out safely, having a knock-on effect for farmers.”

The UFU says farmers who are unable to get their slurry out before the deadline, may be able to spread slurry during the closed period under the ‘reasonable excuse’ clause in the Northern Ireland Nutrients Action Programme (NAP). It covers exceptional circumstances when, through no fault of their own, farmers cannot fully comply with the rules.

The UFU is however urging farmers to use the ‘reasonable excuse’ clause with caution, stressing that spreading slurry during the closed period must be a last resort. It is vital that we protect our waterways and minimise the risk of any runoff.

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“Farmers must be able to prove they have exhausted all other avenues before spreading slurry under the ‘reasonable excuse’ clause. It is essential that farmers have all their nitrates paperwork in order and keep a record outlining how they managed their slurry before the closed period, evidence of the weather such as photos or videos of the ground conditions and rainfall, and how much storage they have. Farmers do not have to notify DAERA or NIEA before spreading under the ‘reasonable excuse’ clause, but they must keep detailed records.

“The UFU has created a template members can use to record the necessary information to help back up their case. This is available from UFU headquarters or local group offices. I encourage members to seek advice and contact the UFU technical team before spreading,” said Mr Brown.

For further information contact UFU HQ on 02890 370 222 or your local group office https://www.ufuni.org/about/our-offices/.

Related topics:Ulster Farmers' UnionDavid BrownNorthern IrelandDAERA