Dept confirms latest date for spreading lime

The Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers this week of the latest date for spreading lime under the 2023 National Liming Programme.

Thursday, October 31, 2024, is the last day for the programme, which was introduced by the Minister last year to incentivise the use of lime as a natural soil conditioner which corrects soil acidity; makes nutrients more available for plant uptake; and improves overall soil health.

Over 14,500 claims were submitted under the National Liming Programme with advance payments issued to farmers in December 2023.

The Department has confirmed that over €7.6M has been paid out to date, while over 8,000 applicants have received their full payment. Balancing payments will be issued to farmers as proof of spreading is confirmed - including through the National Fertiliser Database - and outstanding queries are addressed.

The Department has stated that no further extensions will apply after October 31.