ICMSA tells Roswall dairy farmers 'most supervised in the state'
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has told the European Commissioner for Environment that Irish derogation farmers are "the most inspected and supervised in the state".
The farm organisation met with Commissioner Jessika Roswall today (Friday, November 7) while she visited Ireland to meet stakeholders on the issue of the nitrates derogation.
The nitrates derogation refers to a provision in the EU Nitrates Directive that allows farmers to farm at stocking levels above the standard limit of 170kg of organic manure nitrogen (N) per hectare.
Under Ireland's current Nitrates Action Programme (NAP), which expires at the end of this year, farmers can avail of a stocking rate up 220kgN/ha, subject to additional restrictions around water quality.
Ireland is seeking a further derogation for inclusion in the next NAP. Commissioner Roswall was in Ireland today to hear arguments for the derogation to be included in the next NAP, which will have to signed off by the European Commission.
Speaking after the meeting with the commissioner, ICMSA president Denis Drennan said: "We clearly outlined to the commissioner the sustainable system of milk production in Ireland that is based on grazed grass and family farms.
"And we also stressed the importance of allowing dairy farmers a stocking rate that is sustainable from an environmental, social and economic perspective," Drennan said.
"It’s impossible to exaggerate how important it is that the over 7,000 farmers currently under the derogation are allowed to continue farming with some degree of predictability and stability.
"These farmers are the economic and social ‘backbone’ of their communities, and any undermining of their viability would have very significant negative consequences for large areas of rural Ireland," Drennan added.
He also claimed that the 170kgN/ha limit was "arbitrary", pointing out that it was set almost 35 years ago when the Nitrates Directive came into force, and arguing that it "bears absolutely no relationship to modern sustainable farming practices".
He called on Commissioner Roswall to allow farmers to stock at higher levels which have "been proven scientifically to be environmentally sustainable".
"Contrary to the impression given by certain NGOs [non-government organisations], derogation farmers are absolutely not the source of all problems; they are the most closely inspected and supervised group of farmers and are often the most technically sustainable and skillful farmers in the state," he said.
"These dairy farmers have invested the most in environmental improvements and have most at stake.
"Like all sectors, agriculture does have challenges on water quality but the main point is that the problems are, and can, all be addressed and dealt with if we co-operate and collaborate," the ICMSA president said.
Drennan added: "We need to stop regulating and micro-managing family dairy farms out of existence. This is what is happening and we need to change our approach."
