The Main Areas of Nitrates Action Programme Breaches
George Mathers College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)
Cross-Compliance inspections carried out on farms by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in 2010 revealed that, while farms are compliant with many of the measures in the Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (NAP), there remain a number of areas that cause a significant number of breaches.
This has resulted in Nitrates having the second highest number of Cross-Compliance breaches in that year. The area with the highest number of Cross-Compliance breaches was Cattle identification, registration and movement.
The main areas of NAP breaches were:
- Slurry, manure, silage effluent, dirty water or other organic manure found to have entered a waterway.
- Insufficient livestock manure storage capacity.
- Livestock manure and silage effluent storage facilities were not compliant with SSAFO Regulations and / or they were poorly maintained / managed so that seepage directly / indirectly entered a waterway.
- Farmyard manure or poultry litter were stored in a midden with inadequate effluent collection facilities.
- Organic manure (including dirty water) was applied too close to a water feature.
- Poor record keeping.
Breaches related to Storage (points 1 – 4)
Points 1 – 4 all relate to different aspects of the same topic namely, poorly managed or inadequate storage facilities. This accounted for 60% of the NAP breaches in 2010.
Run-off from middens can be extremely polluting and must never be allowed to directly / indirectly enter a waterway. All storage facilities for livestock manure and silage effluent must have sufficient storage capacity in place to comply with the Regulations and to avoid water pollution. Remember that tanks built after 1st December 2003 must comply with the Control of Pollution Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (SSAFO) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.
If you are concerned that your farm midden or its associated tank is not up to standard it is worth considering using a temporary field heap to store farmyard manure. This is permissible under the NAP Regulations provided that there is no risk of pollution to a waterway and that certain conditions are met. Full details of these conditions may be found in the Nitrates Guidance booklet page 31.
Breaches related to the application of organic manure close to a water feature.
Organic Manures such as slurry, manure, silage effluent or dirty water must not be applied within:
10m of any waterway other than lakes,
20m of lakes;
50m of a borehole, spring or well,
250m of a borehole used for a public water supply,
15m of exposed cavernous or karstified limestone features.
Please note that a waterway is defined as any river, stream, inland water, or watercourse and which can, at times, be dry.
Records
Maintaining records required by the Nitrate Action Programme Regulations (NAP) should be straightforward as most of these already exist on the farm. Please ensure that you have the following in place each year:
- Land details – these include the agricultural area of land controlled, confirmation of common land grazing rights, size and location of fields and crops grown. Farm maps and a copy of your previous year’s Single Application Form should contain this information. If you are taking additional land you must be able to produce controller agreement(s) to use this land in the calculation of the 170 KG N/ha/yr limit or the 250 KG N/ha/yr limit (if operating under an approved derogation).
- Stock details – these include the number and type of livestock and the length of time that they have spent on your holding. Again you should already have this information in your herd book and on APHIS online printouts that can be accessed via www.ruralni.gov.uk.
- Importing or exporting livestock manure – you must retain a record of all livestock manure imported or exported. This must include type, quantity and N content of the manure along with the name and address of the recipient as well as the transporter. N content can be calculated using the figures on page 66 of the Nitrates Guidance booklet.
- Fertiliser details – a record of the quantity and type (N and P content) of fertiliser held on your farm on 1 January and 31 December each year. You also need receipts for fertiliser purchased between those dates. Soil nitrogen supply index for crops is required and this can be located on page 68 of the Nitrates Guidance booklet. Remember that you can only apply chemical P fertiliser when soil analysis shows that it is needed for that crop – see page 72 of the Nitrates Guidance booklet.
The Nitrates Guidance booklet can be found on the internet at http://www.dardni.gov.uk/ruralni/index/environment/countrysidemanagement/nap2011-2014.htm.
CAFRE hold training courses on Nitrates, Nitrates Derogation and Nutrient Management Planning each winter and if you would like to book a place please call Margaret at 028 9442 6728.
The effluent from this covered midden is being effectively collected by the channel and will be stored in a nearby slurry tank
