The Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC, as amended) sets out that for each farm, the amount of livestock manure applied to land each year, including by the livestock themselves, cannot exceed an amount containing 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare (N/ha) in the absence of a derogation.
It is unfortunately not possible to consider allowing a farmer’s previous years livestock manure figures to determine their organic manure importation allowance for the current year, as such a process could result in a farm's annual limit exceeding that set down by the Nitrates Directive itself, even if they are a "low intensity" farmer.
I strongly recommend that farmers interested in importing slurry should seek expert advice and prepare a nutrient management plan. This will allow these farmers to select the appropriate volumes of slurry to import while improving soil fertility, reducing the risk of nutrient loss to water and preventing the risk of exceeding their livestock manure limit for the year. It will also assist the sector reach climate targets by replacing imported chemical fertiliser with livestock manure.
