Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter regarding phosphates in dairy farming (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37919/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very aware of the difficulties this summer on farms as a result of the adverse weather conditions.

Farmers planning their fertiliser applications must take into account the concentrate fed in the previous year. Additional concentrates can therefore be used this year provided they are taken into account in next year’s plans for application of chemical fertiliser. Where a farmer is using ‘straights’ such as barley with a lower Phosphorus content than the more common compound ration, he/she can also take this into account when calculating fertiliser plans for the 2013 year.

The Nitrates Regulations allow farmers to assume Index 3 for phosphorus in the absence of a soil sample result. It is in farmers’ interests therefore to soil sample because if analysis results show a lower Index then the farmer is allowed to use more phosphorus.