Flexibility needed when it comes to slurry spreading, says minister

Ms Sinead Bradley (SDLP, South Down) raises the issue of slurry spreading with the minister

He was responding to a question from Ms Sinead Bradley (SDLP, South Down).

Mr Poots said : “I spoke to a contractor who does that work extensively in the country and was not able to get out at all last week as a consequence of the weather. Yet, the month of January was an exceptionally good month. Here I am going on about the EU again, but it produced a proposal, worked with our departments and came up with the closed period.

“Blunt instruments do not cut it. We need a flexibility that prevents nitrates and phosphates getting into our waterways, because we know that they do damage, but we need to do that in a sensible and rational way.

“I have asked my officials to look at how we could amend the period to something that takes better account of the weather conditions.

“I have seen this happening all too often. We get to February and a bad spell of weather, and that leads to animal welfare considerations.

“As a result, someone is put in a position where they have not been allowed to spread slurry.

“They have obeyed the law, the tanks have filled up and it is too wet to go out.

“They either spread slurry and damage the environment or they do not spread slurry and end up in an animal welfare situation, which is not a good place for anybody to be.”

Mr Poots added: “From now until the middle of October, we are in the open season. Nonetheless, rules apply, and people should not spread slurry in conditions such as those that we have seen over the last week - and they have not been doing so; certainly not that I have witnessed.

“As we move forward, I would like to have something in place for the next closed season so that we can identify a better way forward, one that observes the nitrates directive in a very positive way but also creates flexibility for the farming community so that it can better do its job. That will involve further negotiation with the European Union, and, unfortunately, I am not the master of everything. It would be very kind if the member could give that to me.”