The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Francie Gorman has called on the government to use all available resources to secure Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
The comments come as Denmark has confirmed that it will not seek a further extension from the EU Commission for that country’s nitrates derogation this summer.
Danish farmers have availed of the derogation from the EU Nitrates Directive for 22 years.
However, the Danish government said that the country has not managed to reduce the discharge of nutrients to coastal waters in the last 10-15 years.
Nitrates derogation
IFA president Francie Gorman said that Ireland has a unique and compelling case to make to avail of the bitrates derogation, due to our grass-based production system.
“We can improve water quality in Ireland without decimating Irish farming,” he said.
Gorman noted that less than 10% of Denmark’s farmland is under permanent grassland, compared to over 90% in Ireland.
“Our government must defend our derogation and put the full resources of the state into ensuring we secure it.
“We fully accept that water quality needs to improve and farmers have taken on over 30 actions.
“It is not right that farmers would invest in these actions and the plug is then pulled on the derogation, without allowing any time to measure the impact of these actions,” he said.
“Policy makers must have regard towards environmental, economic and social sustainability. Rural Ireland needs economic activity within reasonable environmental boundaries.
“Removing the nitrates derogation is a blunt instrument that is unlikely to improve water quality, but which will certainly decimate the income of thousands of farm families,” Gorman said.
Water quality
Meanwhile, the head of advocacy for An Taisce Elaine McGoff has claimed that farmers and the environment are being “failed” by the government.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has said that a reduction scheme for dairy cows is “off the table”.
A dairy cow reduction scheme – which has been referred to as a “cull scheme” by some stakeholders – was one of the recommendations of the Food Vision Dairy Group.
The minister added that he is “confident” that Ireland will retain our nitrates derogation and that the growth in productivity and exports achieved by our dairy sector can be maintained.
“The government can commit all they like, but without supporting farmers to put adequate evidence-based measures in place, including destocking, we’re setting them up to fail,” McGoff said in a post on social media platform, X.
“The commission are the ones making the call on our derogation, not us. All the promises and demands in the world will not get us to where we need to be, which is good water quality. We’re not on course for that,” she added.
McGoff asked if there is a contingency plan in place in the event that Ireland loses the derogation.
“Instead of planning for a likely loss the pro-dairy rhetoric ramps up instead. How does that help derogation farmers?
“Farmers are in real difficulty currently, but empty reassurances ultimately do them a disservice.
“It’s time to have some honest conversations, for everyone’s sake,” she said.