All farmers stocked up to 170kg nitrogen per hectare (N/ha) are eligible again for low emissions slurry spreading (LESS) investments following changes made by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on Wednesday 21 August.

As of 1 January 2024, farmers operating at a stocking rate of 150kg N/ha or above in the year of application or the year preceding it were ineligible for LESS grant aid.

However, this latest change by the Minister will allow all applications received from 1 January 2024 to be eligible for LESS grant aid.

Watercourses

In addition, the Minister introduced changes to the rules surrounding the permanent fencing of watercourses, which will also allow this investment to be available for all farmers.

In the case of watercourse fencing, the nitrates regulations only require watercourses to be fenced while stock are present - ie temporarily - in field, so the provision of the higher specification of TAMS fence, which typically has a life duration of at least 15 years, is considered a higher environmental standard than required under the regulations.

"The changes I have introduced to existing schemes will ensure that supports for investments will continue to be targeted to deliver key modernisation, environmental and safety improvements on thousands of farms across the country, while also supporting local economies in the construction phase of developments," the Minister said.