The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced it is extending its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) consultation to include an update to the proposed ammonia strategy.
The department said the extension came after a request for clarity by stakeholders regarding the Update on the Proposed Ammonia Strategy and Revised Operational Protocol.
DAERA said including the update on the proposed strategy in the consultation means it would like to receive responses that also consider the proposed measures to reduce ammonia emissions from agriculture.
It would also like responses on the proposed revised procedure for the assessment of the impacts of air pollution on the natural environment.
The voluntary measures in the proposed strategy include a range of alternatives to technology-based emissions reduction measures that apply across a range of farm sizes.
DAERA has said that the objective of the proposed ammonia strategy, as part of the combined approach to the chemical, is to put Northern Ireland agriculture on a path to meet the UK National Emissions Ceiling Regulations (NECR) 2018 target for reductions in ammonia emissions by 2030.
There are two proposed mandatory measures and seven voluntary measures in the DAERA’s proposed ammonia strategy.
The two mandatory measures are:
- A prohibition on the use of urea fertiliser without an inhibitor;
- The move to 100% use of low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) by 2030.
The seven voluntary measures are:
- Low emission livestock housing;
- Emerging technologies;
- Longer grazing seasons;
- Reducing crude protein in livestock diets;
- Improving feed efficiency through genetic improvement;
- Establishing tree plantations around livestock housing;
- Covering above ground slurry stores.
A DAERA spokesperson said: “The department is extending the Strategic Environmental Assessment Consultation to include the Update on the Proposed Ammonia Strategy and Revised Operational Protocol and would encourage responses by the new deadline of May 23, 2025.”
