The 2026 Nitrates Banding screen is now accessible to all dairy farmers. The screen determines their herd’s milk kg/cow band for nitrates requirements in 2026. Farmers can submit their banding data via PC or laptop.
Dairy Band Options 2026
Dairy farmers will have the choice of 3 options to determine their cow band for 2026;
Option 1: Select the rolling average for the three preceding years (2023, 2024, 2025),
Option 2: Select the previous year for milk supply (2025)
Option 3: Select to use the herd’s 2026 average milk yield– available to new entrant dairy herds only
New entrant dairy herds will remain at the default rate of 106 kg organic N/cow for 2026 until a full year of milk and animal data is available. This data will be used to calculate the herd’s milk kg band in early 2027.
How the Cow Band is Calculated
ICBF calculates the band by combining milk supply data from the co-op and dividing it by the farm’s average cow numbers for the year (12-month/365-day average). Farmers who receive the Dairy Co-op Performance Report will have milk supply data available to submit their cow band to DAFM.
* Milk density factor: 1.0297 ratio factor used to convert between volume in litres and kilograms of milk, i.e., 1 litre corresponds to 1.0297 kg of milk.
Banding Screen 2026
Farmers can review their average cow numbers and milk supply details before submitting. Only the cow band is submitted to DAFM; milk supply data is not transferred.
Click Submit to DAFM to share the cow band. No data is sent unless the farmer/adviser clicks submit. Calculations are generated automatically.
Crude Protein %
- Existing dairy farmers can select the crude protein percentage fed to dairy cows in 2025.
- New entrant dairy herds can select the crude protein percentage they intend to feed in 2026.
- Submissions are made via the ICBF Nitrates Band screen.
- The crude protein figure is a year‑round average, calculated on a fresh‑weight basis
- Farmers must retain feed invoices, as DAFM may request them to verify concentrates fed; this affects the organic N/cow value (see table below).
Dairy farmers should consult their agricultural adviser to select the correct average crude protein % for 2025 (on a fresh-weight basis) before submitting their banding details on ICBF.
2025 Nitrates Banding Submissions
The tables below show how dairy farmers submitted their nitrates banding details in 2025, including the band options chosen and the crude protein percentages selected.
2025 Nitrates Band Option & Crude Protein Selection
How do I access my nitrates band screen on ICBF?
Every herd owner has a username and password, which are required to access their ICBF account on www.dev-icbf.com.
If a farmer doesn’t know their password, they can request a temporary one by:
- Texting “Pass” to 089-4577663 (The text method will operate for mobile numbers recorded in the ICBF database for the respective herd number, i.e., it receives BVD/ICBF SMS messages)
- Emailing [email protected]
- Contacting the HerdPlus Team on 023–8820452.
Once logged in, simply go to ‘Applications’ and select ‘Nitrates Band’ from the drop-down menu.
What if I have no milk data on ICBF?
If no milk supply data is available on ICBF (e.g., where milk is supplied to niche cheese, ice cream, yoghurt, organic, or other dairy companies), farmers can submit a completed Milk Purchaser Form available on the DAFM website.
This allows DAFM to confirm the herd’s nitrate cow band.
Further Information and Key Dates
A Frequently Asked Questions document is available, which should address most nitrates banding queries. Please click here to view:
DAFM (Nitrates Section)
📧 [email protected]
📞 053 916 3425
Closing date for dairy banding submissions:
📅 May 15th, 2026
For queries relating specifically to the ICBF Nitrates Band screen, contact:
📧 [email protected]
📞 023 882 0452