According to ANZM, this month, spring begins to assert itself in the pre-mountainous and mountainous areas where, as the snow progressively melts with altitude and the condition of the terrain allows, work progresses on improving permanent pastures and those aimed at preparing the germination bed, starting grazing, including:

Continuing the clearing of harmful woody vegetation, with the clarification that landscape elements, including isolated trees, should be preserved (defining "trees" according to the farmer's guide on eco-conditionality, from 2018 - "tree - any perennial plant, excluding fruit trees, with a tall and strong woody trunk, with a diameter of over 10 cm, with several developed branches forming a crown"). An eligible pasture for agri-environment and climate payments may have a maximum of 100 isolated trees/ha; Completing the spreading of molehills and leveling the ground; Completing the fertilization with manure and the application of amendments, with the clarification that existing buffer strips on agricultural land located near surface water protection areas must be maintained, established in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in the field.

The minimum width of the protection strips is 1 m on slopes up to 12% and 3 m on slopes greater than 12%, the slope of the land being the average slope of the adjacent physical block. If there are no protection strips on the agricultural land located near surface water protection areas, the farmer is obliged to establish and maintain these strips in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Good Agricultural Practices for the protection of waters against pollution with nitrates from agricultural sources; Continuing land improvement works (erosion control, excess moisture removal, etc.); Continuing the progressive application of chemical fertilizers with altitude, after snowmelt (on farms without commitments under measure 10 - Agri-environment and climate);

Administering nitrogen fertilizers on pastures (on farms without commitments under measure 10 - Agri-environment and climate) should be done at least two weeks or even a month before the animals go to pasture, to avoid nitrogen intoxication in animals; Intensifying overseeding or reseeding works of degraded grasslands, and on grasslands with agri-environment and climate commitments, seeding can only be done with species from the local flora and only in cases where some areas are accidentally affected; Removing dry branches and filling in hollows at isolated trees on pastures; Completing tree planting works for shade and fencing them; Repairs to water supplies (wells, gutters, etc.), paths, fences, animal shelters, watering troughs, and other facilities in pastures; Starting the traditional grazing season on communal pastures and common pastures after April 23 (St. George's Day) and adhering to rational grazing by species and categories of animals.

Burning of permanent pasture vegetation and meadows is prohibited! (Photo: Freepik)