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Care With Slurry Tanks

8 November 2017

It is likely that slurry storage tanks will become full, quicker than normal this year because –

  • Stock have been housed earlier than normal,
  • The delayed harvest and straw clearing has reduced opportunities to spreading slurry
  • The weather has been too wet to spread slurry
  • Ground conditions are completely unsuitable for slurry tankers.

The problem is made worse for farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zone as of 15 October the closed period is now enforce for high nitrogen organic manures such as cattle slurry.

The Scottish NFU has been lobbying for dispensation for the last couple of months but it appears likely that this can only come from the EU itself!  Hopefully with Ireland in an even worse situation the EU will respond reasonably quickly?

In the meantime try and avoid water entering slurry pits e.g. from gutters, leaking troughs, nipple drinkers and yard run-off etc.

An expensive alternative would be to purchase some of the large “rubber sacks” such as alligator bags (http://www.rcbaker.co.uk/fleet?title=alligator-winbag%C2%AE), which have been developed for temporary storage of large volumes of liquid.

Donald Dunbar, donald.dunbar@sac.co.uk

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