The knock on effect of the European Commission’s latest ruling on Ireland’s nitrates derogation will have a “negative effect on farming succession” according to Macra.
The organisation, which represents 10,000 young people from rural areas, said that the ruling will effectively block some people from making a living from farming.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said today (Wednesday, September 6) that the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius confirmed that there was no prospect of re-opening the current commission decision on Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
This means that some areas of the country will see the derogation reduced from 250kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare to 220kg N/ha.
The current derogation is due to expire on January 1, 2026 but the derogation limit is also due to reduce to 220kg N/ha on January 1, 2024 in some areas.
According to Macra, land is already at a “premium” and the commission’s latest ruling will not only exacerbate that position .
The organisation has described it as a “knee jerk” reaction.
Elaine Houlihan, the president of Macra, believes that land will now be pushed further out of reach of new entrant farmers.
“Now more than ever is a succession scheme required to support young farmers to enter the industry, without this support there will be no young farmers and no industry,” she warned.
Macra is now calling on Minister McConalogue to try and extend the introduction of the new nitrates rates for 12 months.
“Four months is too short of a period to either look for more land or to reduce stock. We are all more than concerned about the quality of our water, however we must follow the science.
“We haven’t given enough time to ascertain whether the measures that have been put in place in the last couple of years have had a positive effect or not,” Houlihan added.
Tillage
Meanwhile the Irish Grain Growers’ Group (IGGG) has also warned that the European Commission’s decision not to re-visit its decision on Ireland’s nitrates derogation will have a significant impact on the sector.
The chair of the IGGG, Bobby Miller, said: “I can only see one outcome from the derogation change and that’s more land lost from tillage production.
“The government and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) who sought derogation in the first place need to act in the strongest possible manner to protect the tillage sector.
“Do we now have to ring fence the tillage area in Ireland immediately?”