Farm Portal
The Farm Portal provides tools like Overseer and NCheck that calculate your nitrogen losses as if you were operating at Good Management Practice (GMP).
About the Farm Portal
It can calculate your:
- Baseline GMP Loss Rate, which is based on your nitrogen baseline (nitrogen loss averaged over 2009-2013); or
- Good Management Practice Loss Rate, which is based on your current nitrogen loss (averaged over the latest four year period).
Farmers that require a farming land use consent under the regional rules in the Land and Water Regional Plan need to calculate the nitrogen losses listed above for their farm. Those losses will become your nitrogen loss limit at a future date in your consent.
This excludes the Selwyn Te Waihora, Hinds, South Coastal Canterbury and Hurunui sub-regional areas, as there is a different set of requirements for those farmers. Find out more about Zone-specific rules and information.
Frequently asked questions
To use the Farm Portal, you will need to create a user login. This is a simple process and is one of the first prompts when you go to the website.
You will also need to use the same email address that you have used in your log in details with OverseerFM.
Our Customer Services team can help you out if you are having trouble.
Calculating your GMP loss rate
To calculate your GMP loss rate, you will need to already have completed your nutrient budgets using OverseerFM and have access to them.
Access the Farm Portal User Guide for more information about how to calculate your GMP loss rates. This can be found on the Farm Portal website along with a list of frequently asked questions.
Get in touch with your nutrient advisor or consultant for more help with OverseerFM or the Farm Portal – many of the consultants provide a service where they will do these calculations for you.
Alternative method
Environment Canterbury has created an alternative method called the Environment Canterbury Equivalent Pathway (ECEP). This method can also be found on the Farm Portal website.
The ECEP is identical to the Farm Portal except that it does not adjust the fertiliser inputs in your OverseerFM budget to align with GMP for fertiliser application. Any adjustment to fertiliser inputs to make them reflect GMP must be completed manually.
You also have an option to propose an alternative equivalent method to calculate your GMP loss rates. Talk to your nutrient management advisor for more information.
An erroneous loss rate is when the number generated by the Farm Portal is wrong or inaccurate.
If this occurs, you have an option to use an alternative method to calculate your GMP loss rates. However, you or your consultant will need to provide evidence with your farming land use consent application to show that the loss rate was erroneous.
Alternative method
Environment Canterbury has created an alternative method called the Environment Canterbury Equivalent Pathway (ECEP). This method can also be found on the Farm Portal website.
The ECEP is identical to the Farm Portal except that it does not adjust the fertiliser inputs in your OverseerFM budget to align with GMP for fertiliser application. Any adjustment to fertiliser inputs to make them reflect GMP must be completed manually.
You also have an option to propose an alternative equivalent method to calculate your GMP loss rates. Talk to your nutrient management advisor for more information.
NCheck
NCheck is a simple tool that requires basic farm inputs to calculate the nitrogen loss from your farm. It can be used to work out whether you need a farming land use consent and, in some circumstances, can be used in a consent application. Click here for more information on NCheck.
Registering your farm as a Permitted Activity
In some areas throughout Canterbury, farms that meet the permitted activity requirements and therefore do not need a consent, are required to register their farm on the Farm Portal. This can be done by going through the NCheck process and submitting the report. Head over to the Farm Portal to complete your registration.