Farmers in Northern Ireland offered fertiliser training

Farmers in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to attend training workshops to teach them what they must do to comply with the new water laws in the country.

The Nitrates Action Programme Regulations, which have been effective from January 2007, were implemented as an attempt to improve the water quality in Northern Ireland’s lakes and rivers. The regulations control the use and storage of fertilisers and livestock manures, and apply to all farms in Northern Ireland.

To help farmers understand the implications of the new laws, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has joined forces with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) to organise a series of training workshops that set out how the laws impact individual farmers.

Minister Michelle Gildernew believes that it is “imperative” that farmers fully understand the new laws, including how the laws “impact on their farms.”

The courses are a repeat of a similar programme that was run last year.

Gildernew added: “My staff will be on hand at more than 20 venues across the north in the coming weeks to help farmers.

“I would encourage all farmers to attend one of these workshops if they have not already done so.”