Mr. Denis Drennan:

Some reports say there is approximately a 30% deficit in slurry storage but huge strides have been made since that report was issued two years ago, so we have probably caught up a lot. We cannot have enough slurry storage in the sense that while it might be mandatory to have 16, 18 or 20 weeks, farmers want to be in a position where they can spread slurry when they want to and when the weather conditions are favourable, not when they have to. It is the ultimate goal of every farmer to be able to use the nutrients created on his or her own farm in the most effective manner at the best time of the year. That is when there will be the least loss of nutrients to water or to air. If they are in control of their slurry and spread it at the optimum time, that is when they will have maximum uptake by the grass, which is most effective for farmers economically but also from an environmental point of view.