The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for tillage farmers to be exempted from the requirement for shallow stubble cultivation.
It follows calls from the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) to allow an extension to the deadline for the requirement.
Under the Nitrates Directive, tillage farmers are required to take measures to establish green cover as soon as possible post-harvest to prevent the pollution of waters caused by nitrates.
Shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop/catch crop must take place within 10 days of the baling of straw, or where straw is chopped, within 10 days of harvest.
But, in all circumstances, shallow cultivation or sowing of a crop/catch crop must take place within 14 days of harvesting.
The FCI had told Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue in a letter that 2023 is proving to be a difficult year for cereal harvesting due to three weeks of heavy rainfall.
The FCI said the current deadline dates will be “impossible to achieve due to poor harvesting conditions”.
Now, the IFA has gone a step further by calling for tillage farmers to be exempted from the requirement altogether.
IFA grain chairperson Kieran McEvoy said this morning (Friday, July 28): “Relentless and persistent rainfall is causing significant delays in the harvesting of tillage crops.”
The association has called on Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’ Brien – who oversees the Nitrates Directive – to grant an exemption to tillage farmers from the shallow stubble cultivation requirement.
The IFA said that, based on Met Éireann data, the majority of weather stations in tillage counties affected by the requirement have recorded in excess of 200% above normal rainfall for July.
“For the vast majority of tillage farmers, it’s impossible to attempt cultivation in fields as straw remains left in the row, 10-14 days after harvesting,” McEvoy said.
“Furthermore, attempting to shallow cultivate stubbles when soils are saturated is simply not practical nor suitable and risks further damage to soil structure.”
He added: “Last year, the IFA said exemptions and derogations for difficult weather conditions would be needed. The weather conditions for this harvest illustrate why these exemptions and derogations are necessary.”
McEvoy said he had written to both Minister O’Brien and Minister McConalogue asking them to “urgently grant an exemption from the requirement for stubble cultivation”.