15 October 2024
National Liming Programme: Farmers reminded of spreading deadline
Farmers are reminded that the latest date for spreading lime in the 2023 National Liming Programme is Thursday, October 31 2024.
Introduced by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in spring 2023, the National Liming Programme incentivises 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 confirmed that over €7.6 million has been paid out to date, while over 8,000 applicants have received their full payment. Balancing payments will issue to remaining farmers as proof of spreading is confirmed, including through the National Fertiliser Database, and outstanding queries are addressed.
The latest date for spreading is the 31st October and no further extensions will apply.
Also read: Lime – the forgotten fertiliser