Image Source: Irish Grassland Association
The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine has engaged with Teagasc to identify a roadmap aiming to maintain farm output whilst reducing the use of chemical fertilisers on farms and dealing with the rising cost and availability of fertilisers internationally.
Teagasc is tasked with producing a report that will review the short, medium and long-term options of farmers reducing chemical fertiliser usage.
Minister McConalogue recently launched an innovative €10 million soil-sampling initiative. The pilot Soil Sampling Programme is a farm-level soil sampling and analysis initiative that will provide farmers and their advisors with comprehensive details about their farms’ soil health and soil condition. There is untapped potential by more strategic use of cattle and pigs’ slurry and farmyard manure. The alternative fertiliser strategy report will highlight the greater focus needed around lime applications and soil testing.
For more information, see here.
Source: DAFM & NRN
