The tillage sector is bearing the brunt of the collateral damage created by the new nitrates measures which have been introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), according to one farm organisation.
Chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) grain committee Kieran McEvoy said the tillage sector is “suffering severely” as dairy farmers try to comply with the new nitrates regulations.
Under the regulations, farms will be placed in one of three bands based on their herd’s milk yield, and will have to supply the relevant data to the department to prove which one they belong in by March 16.
Depending on which band a farm falls into, they will be allowed to spread various different rates of organic nitrogen (N). The new approach will leave more dairy farmers in derogation than before, and many will look to increase their land area to avoid this.
However, the increasing demand for land has driven up the price, resulting in difficulties for tillage farmers across the country.
“Tillage farmers are being blown out of the land rental market, with prices of €500/ac now commonly reported in south Leinster and Munster,” stated McEvoy.
“The tillage sector is heavily dependent on rented and leased land and these prices are totally unsustainable for tillage farmers in 2023.
“Estimates put the area between 30-40% of the total sown,” he added.
The chair said the association is calling on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue to meet the grain committee so that they can discuss a way forward for the sector.
This is vital according to McEvoy, who added that there is a risk that the area under tillage could start to decline if this is not addressed. Such a u-turn would come after “two substantial years of growth” he added.
“Regaining this area will be very difficult. The tillage sector needs to be recognised as part of the solution to any nitrates action.
“In the majority of cases, tillage farms are the perfect home for slurry from dairy herds and exporting nutrients in the form of slurry must be part of the solution,” he said.