The National Liming Programme
By Ciaran Beatty,
Teagasc Drystock Advisor,
Castlerea
The National Liming Programme was introduced earlier this year by the Department of Agriculture to:
- Promote the use of lime
- To correct Soil Acidity
- Make nutrients more available for plant uptake
- Improve soil health.
With a budget of €16 Million and over 41,000 applications submitted, there has been a huge interest in the spreading of Lime.
All successful applicants recently received a written letter of Approval from the Department. The scheme will pay farmers at a rate of €16 per tonne of lime delivered and spread with the maximum payment capped at €640. In many instances, this will equate to the spreading of 40 tonnes.
To receive payment, approved farmers must upload invoices to the Department of Agriculture Online System showing date, quantity and cost per tonne from the Quarry as well as a Contractor invoice showing cost per ton spread as well. The lime must be spread and receipts submitted by the 31st of October 2023. Remember to check with the Quarry that they are on the Approved List.
It is important to note that Applicants must also have recent soil test reports for their farm indicating a lime requirement for their lands.
With the slurry spreading deadline fastly approaching at the end of September, it is best practice to apply the cattle slurry first and then apply the lime at least 10 days later.
Remember that spreading lime makes good financial sense with Research indicating that there is at least a 4:1 return on investment. Every €25 spent on lime will generate a payback of €100 in terms of increased Grass Production on your farm.
Teagasc provides a Local Advisory and Education service to farmers. They have offices based in Roscommon Town (Tel: 090 6626166), Castlerea (Tel: 094 9620160) and Longford Town (Tel: 043 3341021), You can find us on Facebook @Teagascroscommonlongford and twitter @teagascRNLD. Email; RoscommonLongfordAdvisory@teagasc.ie