The Pigs Committee Chairman Roy Gallie and the Poultry Committee Chairman Andy Boylan said the new online system to record slurry and manure transfers is not ready to go live on July 1st.
Following meetings with DAFM Nitrates Division officials in the past two weeks, it’s evident that the transition to mandatory online records of slurry and manure movements is premature.
“We have trialled the online system and encountered very obvious system failures. It must be made much more user friendly and we have asked DAFM officials to consider our suggested amendments,” they said.
Under the current DAFM policy, all slurry exports must be submitted online through the Agfood.ie portal.
This system has to accommodate farmers who are uncomfortable or unable to use online services. A transitional period allowing for both online and paper recording must be implemented.
IFA is asking the DAFM Nitrates Division to facilitate the provision of both paper records and online records, similar to the system successfully employed the animal movements system for many years.
“We are very supportive of any measures that will encourage and facilitate the optimal use of organic manures to fertilise land and displace the need for imported artificial fertilizers, but the online requirement due to be implemented in two weeks’ time with an untried system is premature and will have negative consequences,” they said.
