
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Nitrates Action Programme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and shall come into operation on 14th December 2015.
2 

(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954( applies to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
3 
The Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 are amended in accordance with regulations 4 to 10.
4 
In regulation 3(2) (interpretation)—
(a) in the definition of “appropriate person” paragraph (c) after “livestock manure” insert “, silage”;
(b) in the definition of “appropriate person” paragraph (d) after “livestock manure” insert “, silage”; and
(c) in the definition of “silage” delete “, and which is intended for consumption by animals”.
5 
For regulation 22 (cover in winter) substitute—“
22. 
After harvesting a crop other than grass the controller shall ensure that from harvest to 15th January in the following year, one of the following conditions is met on the land at any time—
(a) the stubble of the harvested crop remains in the land; or
(b) 
(i) the land is sown with a crop which will take up nitrogen from the soil; or
(ii) where soil or weather conditions prevent a subsequent crop from being sown, appropriate measures are put in place to limit soil erosion.”
6 
For regulation 23 (crop management) substitute—“
23. 
Where grass leys are grown in rotation with arable crops the first crop shall be sown as soon as possible after the grass has been ploughed.”
7 
In regulation 25(1)—
(a) at the end of paragraph (j) delete “and”;
(b) at the end of paragraph (k) insert “; and”;
(c) in regulation 25(2) replace “(2)(a)” with “(1)(a)”; and
(d) for regulation 25(3) substitute—“
(3) Records under paragraph (1)(l) shall be prepared for each calendar year and shall be submitted to the Department by 1st March of the following year for derogated holdings and by 31st January of the following year for all other holdings, in a format specified by the Department and a copy shall be retained by the controller for a period of 5 years from the date of submission.”
8 

(1) For regulation 30(1) substitute—“
30. 

(1) It shall be an offence for the controller to fail to comply without reasonable excuse with regulation 4, 9(1), 12(1), 12(6), 12(7), 22 or 24.”
(2) In regulation 30 at paragraph (3) delete “22, 24,”
9 
For regulation 31 (penalties) substitute—“
31. 
Any person guilty of an offence under regulation 30 shall be liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum together with a fine of an amount equal to one-tenth of that level for each day upon which the offence continues after the conviction; or
(b) on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or both.”
10 
In Schedule 1 (Criteria for nutrient management)-
(a) for Table 1b (Regulations 9 and 12 – Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates for pigs) substitute—“

Table 1b
Livestock type Nitrogen (N) produced per head per year (kg N/yr) Phosphorus (P) produced per head per year (kg P/yr)
Adult pigs
Boar 18 4.2
Maiden gilt 11 5.7
Breeding sow 16 8.7
 Nitrogen (N) produced per pig (kg N) Phosphorus (P) produced per pig (kg P)
Pigs weaned at 3-4 weeks
Approximate start weight (kg) Approximate sale/ transfer weight (kg)  
6-8 18 (7.5 weeks) 0.09 0.08
6-8 35 (11 weeks) 0.38 0.23
6-8 105 (23 weeks) 2.38 1.09
Growing and finishing pigs
Approximate start weight (kg) Approximate sale/ transfer weight (kg)  
18 35 0.29 0.15
18 105 2.30 1.00
35 105 2.00 0.85
”
(b) for Table 7 (Regulation 12(7) – Phosphorus (P) content of agricultural products and feedstuffs) substitute—“

Table 7
Agricultural product Phosphorus content (% fresh weight)
Poultry concentrate 0.5 (or actual declared content)
Pig concentrate 0.48 (or actual declared content)
Ruminant concentrate 0.55 (or actual declared content)
All other concentrates 0.58 (or actual declared content)
Cattle 0.66
Milk 0.10
Sheep 0.54
Wool 0.04
Pigs 0.50
Poultry 0.58
Eggs 0.22
Straw 0.10
Silage 0.06
Hay 0.30
Potatoes 0.04
Oats 0.29
Barley 0.30
Wheat 0.26
Maize 0.25
Full fat soya 0.45
Linseed 0.81
Rape 1.10
Soya 0.68
Sunflower 0.93
Gluten 0.96
Citrus 0.1
Wheat distillers 0.77
Corn distillers 0.77
Peas 0.44
Palm kernel 0.63
Pollard 1.00
Soya hulls 0.14
Sugar beet 0.1
Grass fresh 0.06
Whole crop wheat fresh 0.09
Whole crop wheat silage 0.09
Forage maize fresh 0.07
Forage maize silage 0.07”
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 12th November 2015
John Speers
A senior officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 12th November 2015
Dave Foster
A senior officer of the Department of the Environment
