Call for amendment to splash plate ban in light of Leitrim’s terrain challenges
Cllr James Gilmartin proposed a motion to write to the incoming Minister for Agriculture requesting an amendment to the ban during January's meeting of Leitrim County Council.
From January 1, farmers have been prohibited from using splash plates to spread slurry on their farms under the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations.
This change requires farmers with stocking rates of 100kg nitrogen per hectare to use low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESS) for spreading slurry.
Citing the challenges posed by much of Leitrim’s undulating farmland, Cllr James Gilmartin proposed a motion to write to the incoming Minister for Agriculture requesting an amendment to the ban.
Cllr Gilmartin explained that splash plates cause 80 to 100 percent of ammonia from slurry to be released into the air as it spreads, and that the goal of LESS is to reduce the emissions by injecting them into the ground.
However, many farms in Leitrim have uneven terrain where LESS equipment may not be usable. In such areas, farmers rely on splash plates.
“What some farmers will be forced to do is spread slurry on the double using this equipment that normally would only spread half the amount with a splash plate,” Cllr Gilmartin said.
Cllr Gilmartin noted other issues that may come from the ban such as water quality.
“To put this on farmers to spread all their slurry using this type of method is going to be counterproductive.”
Other members expressed their support for Cllr Gilmartin’s motion.
“The system needs to be tweaked to suit the land of the north west of Ireland,” Cllr Justin Warnock said.
“Farmers were under huge stress last year to get slurry spread within the time limit and this will only put more pressure on that as they’ll either have to invest in new equipment or get contractors to do it,” Cllr Róisín Kenny added.
“Not every place in Ireland is the same,” Cllr Mitchell said. “We need to be cognizant of the conditions in Leitrim.”
The motion received unanimous support, and the incoming Minister for Agriculture will be contacted in hopes of addressing the issue.