The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has said that a recommendation to reduce chemical nitrogen (N) use in the dairy sector by 35% in the short term is not realistic.
Pat McCormack was reacting to the draft interim report issued by the Food Vision Dairy Group.
The group, chaired by former director of Teagasc, Prof. Gerry Boyle, is tasked with examining ways for the sector to achieve targets for agriculture and land use in the Climate Action Plan 2021.
The document outlines 17 recommendations in the short, medium and long term and correspond with the three proposed carbon budget periods.
Among the proposals are reducing chemical nitrogen (N) usage by 35% and ensuring all dairy farmers adopt low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) by the end of 2025.
The document also states that a voluntary retirement or “exit scheme” should be considered for the dairy sector in the medium term.
ICMSA reaction
The ICMSA president said that he was disappointed that the document, which will be discussed by the group on Monday, April 11, had been made public.
He told Agriland that “there was a degree of alarm” when he read some of the recommendations last night.
He said that “new money” would have to be found to fund any type of voluntary retirement scheme.
During previous meetings of the group, the ICMSA outlined opposition to constraints on cow numbers, milk volumes, or a farmer’s ability to “scale up”.
McCormack said the recommendation to reduce chemical nitrogen (N) usage by 35% was “news” to him.
“It’s not a target that is realistically achievable. We can replace chemical fertiliser with clover, but not to that degree. I think everyone sitting around the table would be aware of that.
“Obviously, it’s a confidential forum but there were targets mentioned that were far more realistic than 35%. If you become over ambitious, you usually under-achieve,” the ICMSA president said.
The draft report recommends an 80% replacement rate of CAN with protected urea by the end of 2025 for grass-based dairy production systems.
McCormack said that, in a normal year, the recommendation “would be a significant development” but would come at a cost.
The Tipperary man also felt that the breeding strategy recommendation is positive, adding that there needs to be a “rapid gain” in the economic breeding index (EBI).
The ICMSA president will be suggesting “practical changes” to the draft document when the group meets again next Monday.
“We’d be disappointed that our voice hasn’t been more in print in the document.
“We need to have a sector that can have generational renewal. We need to have a sector where people, if they get the opportunity, can increase milk production without a significant burden.
“We need to be in a position to deliver for our rural economy,” McCormack concluded.