Cavan-based IFA chair, Frank Brady, has defended the right of farmers to spread slurry at this time of year. The pig farmer said he is spreading what he calls "organic fertiliser" from his animals around Cavan right now. Frank Brady also told the Joe Finnegan Show he can see a time in the not too distant future when Ireland will be exporting its top quality manure in pellet form.
He was responding to criticism from listeners to the pungent smell of cow, pig and duck manure across the Shannonside / Northern Sound region during the warm weather. The IFA Regional Chairman of Ulster North Leinster said technologies are being developed now that will make slurry-spreading less repugnant to non-farmers living in the countryside.
He also pointed out that animal manure is an environmentally-friendly, natural and age-old fertiliser that the government only allows farmers to spread during dry weather between February and September each year: "We are using the new technology," frank told Northern Sound, "Some farmers probably don't have the money yet to get over but, in time with the TAMS grants and all that are there for us to buy the low emission spreading [equipment] it's getting better and better and better and it's much better now and much of the fertiliser and organic manure that leaves my farm is done by the low-lying [equipment] and it's done into the ground and there's no smell ... but, farmers have to produce food."
