The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is calling on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue to ask the European Commission to change the conditions of Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
Under the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP), the upper limit of organic manure nitrogen (N) permissible for farms under derogation will likely be cut from 250kgN/ha to 220kgN/ha from January 2024 in areas where water quality is not showing improvement.
Depending on water quality data changes between 2021 and 2022, this could potentially see a reduction in the derogation across the country as a whole.
In a recent policy paper, the IFA said the minister “must revisit this with the European Commission”.
Whether or not Ireland’s derogation is reduced will depend on a review, to be carried out during the summer of this year, of data comparing water quality in 2021 and 2022.
This, according to the IFA, is “flawed”, as measures coming into place this year, and those that came into place last, will not yet have had a any effect on water quality.
The cut in the derogation back to 220kgN/ha would have “a significant economic impact”, with the IFA estimating that such a move could potentially remove €236 million from the rural economy.
The association estimates that the annual profit reduction on impacted farms will be between €6,522 and €18,336, depending on how farmers adapt to the reduced limit.
According to the IFA, the impact of this is evident even now, as dairy farmers faced with the prospect of a reduced derogation (and already impacted by new ‘banding‘ rules) are seeking additional land to offset the impact of these changes.
As dairy farmers have generally higher profits than farmers in other sectors, they are likely to outbid beef, sheep and tillage farmers for land.
The association is predicting that farmers impacted by the changes will require an additional 69,000ac of land to maintain their current herd sizes.
As well as all that, the IFA’s policy paper said that there is no guarantee that a cut to the derogation will improve water quality.
“Farmers will continue to adopt measures that protect water quality, but this must be based on the right measures, [on] the right place at the right time principle, that have been shown to deliver improvements in water quality, and not a blanket regulatory approach,” the paper said.
TD backs IFA position
The IFA’s position has received the backing of an independent TD, who has also urged Minister McConalogue to take the issue back to the European Commission.
Speaking at the weekend, Galway East TD Seán Canney said: “Under several farmer-supported [projects under] the ASSAP [Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme], farmers have participated and proven that water quality has vastly improved, and are continuing with this programme.
“I support IFA’s position to leave the current 250kgN/ha [derogation] in place until the scientific work being carried out is complete, where final recommendations can be agreed.
“Any reduction at this stage is premature and will impact negatively on farmers income, so any decision needs to have the full scientific analysis in place to ensure the right decision is made,” Canney added.