Farmers can apply up to 170kg per hectare of nitrogen in livestock manure on their holding in a designated nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) in each calendar year. This includes manure deposited directly by grazing livestock and what you spread. This limit is the loading limit and applies as an average across your holding. The grassland derogation is a specific approval farmers can seek in order to apply additional nitrogen from livestock manure on their land if they are in a NVZ. The derogation increases the 170 kilograms per hectare per year limit to 250 kg nitrogen per hectare per year for grazing livestock manure only.
To apply for a grassland derogation you will need to phone the Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506 506 between 8:00am and 6:00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). If you were granted a derogation for 2017, you must reapply if you want a derogation for 2018.
To make your application, you will need to provide the following information for the 2018 calender year:
- your farm name, address and County Parish Holding (CPH) number;
- the expected agricultural area and grassland area of your farm in hectares on 1 January 2018;
- the expected amount of manure nitrogen produced by grazing livestock kept on your farm during the year in kilograms of nitrogen (kgN);
- the amount of manure nitrogen produced by grazing livestock you intend to bring onto or send off your farm during the year (kgN);
- the total amount of manure nitrogen from grazing livestock on your farm during the year (kgN);
- the amount of manure nitrogen produced by non-grazing livestock on your farm during the year (kgN);
- the amount of manure nitrogen produced by non-grazing livestock you intend to bring onto or send off your farm during the year (kgN); and
- the total amount of manure nitrogen from non-grazing livestock on your farm during the year (kgN).
It is anticipated that a derogation, if granted, will last until the end of 2018. It is possible the European Commission, which has control over the use of derogations, may require it to end earlier. If so, Defra will endeavour to give you as much notice as possible.
For further information on how to apply, please see the Grassland derogations for livestock manure in nitrate vulnerable zones section on GOV.UK.