THE extension to the summer slurry-spreading deadline is welcome news for derogation farmers, Fine Gael TD for County Limerick, Tom Neville has said.
“The one-month extension to summer slurry-spreading announced by Ministers Murphy and Creed will help Limerick farmers. The one-month extension is to the deadline by which derogation farmers must have 50 per cent of their slurry spread,” Deputy Neville told the Limerick Post.
The date is extended from June 15 to July 15. Following July 15 the remainder of slurry must be spread by low-emission technology.
“By extending the date the Government has acknowledged the significant difficulties faced by farmers and contractors in spreading slurry as a result of the extreme weather earlier this year. Farmers have been under pressure for the past number of months due to the extreme weather events that have hit the country. This has affected all farmers of all types across County Limerick. This manifested itself through the fodder crises for livestock but also has the knock-on effect of increased slurry implications due to animals housed for a longer period of time.
“This extension will allow farmers to catch up with their workloads, which have been delayed in a lot of cases. We must continue to do everything we can to ease the pressure on farmers and protect our agricultural sector which is the backbone of country’s economy and society in rural Ireland. This also has to be with protecting our environment and a correct balance struck,” he concluded.
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