Dairy processor, Tirlán has today (Wednesday, April 10) launched a project aimed at enhancing the water quality of the River Slaney, which runs through counties Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow.
The River Slaney catchment was previously highlighted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water testing programme as a “catchment of concern”, which the new project aims to improve.
A total of 43% of the lands in the catchment are currently classified as “critical source areas” for nitrogen losses, according to the EPA.
Tirlán stated that it is crucial to help make the best possible case for Ireland to successfully retain the nitrates derogation from 2026.
The project will be a series of combined actions in collaboration with stakeholders, including Teagasc, professional services firm ifac, Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), county councils and the wider community.
A team of farm advisors will utilise best practice advice and focus on improving farm economic and environmental performance to address water quality challenges, while protecting biodiversity.
Tirlán project
Through a new Farm Support Service, guidance will be provided on: Better nutrient use; Improved milk solids; and farm infrastructure and slurry storage capacity.
There will also be advice on accessing the ‘Farming for Water’ European Innovation Partnership (EIP), and funding sources available to finance any remediation works that may be chosen.
Pressures in the catchment include forestry, discharges from waste water, hydromorphology, industry, agriculture and urban run-off.
The measures available under the new project includes: Additional fencing for bovine exclusion from water bodies; Farmyard sediment collection tank; Spatially targeted riparian buffer zones; and Riparian buffer zones.
It also includes the planting of: Catch/cover crops; Trees; Hedgerow establishment; and multi species swards.
The measures includes nutrient management and nitrogen use efficiency plans.
The collaborative initiative is closely aligned with the new national collaborative €60 million EIP ‘Farming for Water’ project.
The ‘Farming for Water’ project began this month and expects to target 15,000 farmers in priority areas nationally, with administrative support and funding of €10 million.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue officially launched the River Slaney Project in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford today.
He called for a collective effort to make real improvements to water quality in key regions to ensure Ireland and Irish farmers secure the nitrates derogation from 2026.
“These pioneering projects are working in partnership with farmers to implement targeted actions to reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality.
“Farming for Water and the River Slaney Project are examples of a collective effort to address water quality and support Ireland in securing a further nitrates derogation that is crucial to farmers and Ireland’s wider dairy, drystock and tillage sectors,” he said.
Water quality
Jim Bergin, Tirlán chief executive, said that the company’s advisors will be working with milk suppliers to create “individual, tailored plans and provide advice on efficient nutrient use, on farm productivity and assessing farmyard and infrastructure issues”.
“I welcome the support that we have received to date, and am calling on our dairy, grain and drystock farmers, local communities, authorities and other partners to join with us in this collective effort to enhance water quality throughout the region and protect these critical farming sectors for generations to come.
“This is a collaborative multi-agency exemplar project and it is vital that the whole agricultural sector joins together to deliver meaningful and lasting results on our river catchments,” he said.