The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has said that it is seeking an “urgent meeting” with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue on the issue of the nitrates derogation.
According to Niall Matthews, ICOS’ dairy committee chairperson, the group is “deeply concerned at the lack of a coherent government plan to deal with the consequences of a cut to the nitrates derogation”.
Large areas of the country are set to see the derogation cut from 250kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare to 220kg N/ha from January.
“The government and European Commission need to intervene immediately with a plan to prevent a cliff-edge effect of a cut to the nitrates derogation.
“Otherwise, we are facing into the possibility of a fire sale of dairy cull cows and other livestock in the autumn and spring of next year, together with complete turmoil in the land rental market,” Matthews added.
Commenting on the invite to the European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius to come to Ireland, Matthews said this needed to happen “on a sooner rather than later’ basis”.
“The commission needs to learn directly from stakeholders of the deep commitment by Irish farmers to improving water quality and environmental performance and the range of actions and initiatives being adopted by the sector in this respect,” the ICOS representative said.
“ICOS has requested an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss the impact of the decision and to ascertain what concrete measures can be put in place to help farmers.”
“Our key ask for the government is to explore all opportunities with the European Commission to provide leeway for vulnerable family farms affected by the decision, and whose viability has been completely undermined and put at risk by the decision,” Matthews added.
He also called for measures to address the barriers to exporting slurry to tillage and lower stocked livestock farms, including the need to re-examine the N content figure in slurry, and support for a rebate on the cost of hauling slurry.
“Additional supports for slurry storage are needed at farm level and incentives for those involved in the contract rearing of heifers must be looked at,” Matthews said.