Independent TD Carol Nolan has called for greater clarity and engagement on the potential introduction of a ploughing ban and the required use of minimum or no till cultivation techniques on carbon-rich soils.

The call comes following confirmation from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, that proposals including such regulations are currently being examined.

The minister also revealed that Ireland is currently working alongside the EU Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), to identify the relevant lands that would be affected by such prohibitions.

Deputy Nolan stated that she has a number of concerns around this, and called for more communication with those who would be directly affected. She said:

“At present all that farmers are hearing are whispers of threats about the adverse designation of their land.

“One of the concerns I have involves just how far the EU, with the support of our own government, is going to throw the net.

“Just how much ‘relevant land’ will be captured and what will be the financial implications for farmers who are already struggling?”

Within the oncoming Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 refers to a set of land management standards that farmers in receipt of CAP payments must respect.

Minister McConalogue outlined that the main objective of GAEC 2 is the preservation of carbon-rich soils, meaning measures to protect wetlands and peatlands must be implemented within each EU member state.

The agriculture minister added that the inclusion of a ban on ploughing or the use of minimum and no till techniques would be examples of appropriate actions needed to comply with these standards.

However, he stated that a mapping and review process will take place before any decisions are made on the potential measures.

“I will be engaging further with the minister and the department on the matter as well as with farming organisations and representatives,” said Deputy Nolan.

“We need to know what the end-point of this process is going to look like, and we need to know now,” she concluded.