Ammonia and Mr Gove

[frederick]

Think we will have to wait and see on this one.

But does anybody know the difference in ammonia emmissions from a cow simply shitting and peeing in the field. Compared to that same quantity being stored and subsequently spread.

Is this a handling storage issue or simply volume produced.

 

[An Gof]

Just wait and see us disadvantaged when they limit use of Urea and we are forced to dance to the tune of Yara and Growhow

 

[Princess Pooper]

I am finding the lack of discussion on this topic on TFF incredible. These proposals will have a considerable impact on many farms, but I do not doubt that something does need to be done. At least it looks like there will be support available. There is a particular lichen that indicates high atmospheric nitrogen levels (the bright yellow one) and I have noticed how it has increased on our trees and slate roofs in recent years. As well as our localised ammonia emissions from our muck heaps etc then I assume there are much higher background levels. The consultation paper includes some interesting examples of what has been done elsewhere and the effects.

 

[Beef farmer]

Ban splash plates will be on the cards, and rightly too.

 

[Beef farmer]

 

[Davy]

Its already having an effect over here in NI. Our environmental agency has put the brakes on a lot of planning applications recently. Anyone within 7km of a sensitive area is going to find any sort of expansion difficult in the future so im told. A 7km radius in this country will incorporate the majority too as there are a lot of these bogs and water bodies that are meant to be soaking up ammonia. Intensive farming will face scrutiny as the ammonia is only released when the manure mixes with the urine apparently. Grazing stock have much lower emmissions. Plant the place in trees and import all the food. Thats the goal now isnt it...

 

[bigw]

I had a read of the consultation document last night and without doubt we will face major changes if its implemented. I hope there will be funding available or tax incentives to help offset costs of installing lower emission housing etc. There would also need to be a reduction in imports from countries where the standards are lower, that will be unlikely though.

 

[thewalrus]

as farmers we face a tougher time regulation wise outside the eu than in!

 

[DairyGrazing]

Ban splash plates will be on the cards, and rightly too.

I think they should put the whole country into NVZ, PVZ and KPZ. Inject/dribble/trailing shoe everything. Fence all waterways from stock and buffet strips along all water courses and ponds etc.

When you see people tanking on the 24th of December making 2ft ruts it goes to show we can’t police our selves.

 

[vantage]

Thanks @Beef farmer for putting up the main points.
Covering pits is a grey area,unless the cover touches the waste how is the ammonia going to be contained?What occurs if and when you need to stir the slurry?
I can see a lot of livestock farmers chucking in the towel,critical mass being lost and a down ward spiral with imports filling the gap,but hey out of sight out of mind.Any body remember the "recycling" fiasco where we recycled plastic to China to burn????

 

[vantage]

Making slurry aerobic will be sure to help.

 

[lazy farmer]

as farmers we face a tougher time regulation wise outside the eu than in!

how did you vote?

 

[Sid]

NZ face a restriction on stocking rate due to the impact on dairying on their environment.

We supposedly have to "feed the world" become "more efficient" and yet you look around the world and see some countries doing a good job and some that are failing badly. How do we as food producers jump through the hoops "this" government want us to if trade deals mean it not a level playing field?

 

[franklin]

Covered manure heaps will be the biggie. The times I drive past field heaps that are sited too close to water courses; on drained land; in the same place as last year; have juice running out of them onto the road etc. is boggling.

 

[connor454545]

Are these set in stone type thing or what Mr gove wants to do? As I see alot of small dairy farms going out unless there are grants available.

 

[franklin]

Will be grants based on the "take money out of the big pot, then give it back as grants for things we are going to force you to do anyway" school of thought. Then say how kind we are for doing so.

Similar school of thought to the "everyone needs to save water, apart from the big companies who we are fine to let 10% of the water leak from their pipes as we want to end our political careers as directors of said firms".

:sigh:

 

[Hampton]

Covered manure heaps will be the biggie. The times I drive past field heaps that are sited too close to water courses; on drained land; in the same place as last year; have juice running out of them onto the road etc. is boggling.

At the moment, if you are in a high priority area, you can get roofing for muck storage, concrete yards, guttering and down pipes etc through Natural England.
You just have to be in a high priority area. The environment agency classified all the high priority areas several years ago and unsurprisingly they are all very close to dairy farms/intensive dairy areas.
Therefore 90% of dairy farms can access this funding. Then what does it become? Funding for expansion!
It makes a bit of a nonsense of it all

 

[The Agrarian]

Totally disagree with protecting urea. We have plenty of damp up here in the north west to use it successfully in the spring. Then we go to nitrate after first cut. It's only a busy body adding cost to us to make himself look good. Don't disagree with splash plates in summer, though cool spring is fine. Grant aid definitely needed. It's not a cheap job, because all those existing single axle tankers out there up to 2500gl basically need to be scrapped and replaced to properly carry a dribble bar. There's an awful lot of them here.

 

[milkloss]

At the moment, if you are in a high priority area, you can get roofing for muck storage, concrete yards, guttering and down pipes etc through Natural England.
You just have to be in a high priority area. The environment agency classified all the high priority areas several years ago and unsurprisingly they are all very close to dairy farms/intensive dairy areas.
Therefore 90% of dairy farms can access this funding. Then what does it become? Funding for expansion!
It makes a bit of a nonsense of it all

It does and even more so if you’re the one that’s the wrong side of the line. Makes a mockery of the job when you can see your neighbours putting up sheds and new concrete etc etc all paid for by someone else.

 

[Sid]

Covered manure heaps will be the biggie. The times I drive past field heaps that are sited too close to water courses; on drained land; in the same place as last year; have juice running out of them onto the road etc. is boggling.

perhaps if we all had the payments that the renewables had thrown at them we could all have nice new silage pits, slurry stores, digestate/FYM stores and acres of concrete that causes run off?