Ireland must use every avenue to retain its “crucial” nitrates derogation from the European Union, an Irish MEP has said.
As previously reported by Agriland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to deliver its report today (Friday, June 30) to the EU Commission on how Ireland is adhering to the conditions set out under the nitrates derogation.
It is understood that the EPA has suggested that its latest analysis of water quality data does not support a substantial number of farmers to farm to a higher stocking rate of 250kg organic manure nitrogen per hectare.
In a briefing to the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group yesterday, the EPA said that a significant percentage of the county will likely see the N/ha limit reduced from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha.
Nitrates derogation
During a visit to west Kerry today where he met with local farmers and fishermen, Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher said that the nitrates derogation is “very crucial” as around 7,000 dairy farmers currently avail of it.
“They are mainly farmers that have invested an awful lot in facilities, on yards and on capital expenditure
“So clearly any reduction in terms of the derogation would put significant pressure on dairy farmers,” the Fianna Fáil MEP told Agriland.
Kelleher said that measures such as low emissions slurry spreading (LESS) and the use of multi-species swards will require a “period of time” before their impact on water quality can be fully analysed.
“I think that we should be arguing that we need more time to see what we have put in place and what benefits that has in terms of water quality in the years ahead.
“If we lose the 250 [kg organic manure nitrogen per hectare] and it goes to 220, well then there will be a significant impact on the viability of many, many dairy farms across the country.
“The average dairy farm is 92 cows. So it’s not that these are always massive, large industrial scale farms. These are family farms. They’re very efficient. They’re very effective.
“I do believe that we must put up every effort to try to retain the derogation into the foreseeable future,” he said.
“The difficulty, of course, is that we’re the only country left in Europe that’s seeking a derogation.
“The Netherlands, Denmark and Wallonia in Belgium aren’t even making an application to request an extension to the derogation.
“So we’re on our own on this and it will be difficult. But I honesty believe that we should make every effort,” Kelleher said.
“If we put further measures in place and greater obligations then we can both have a very vibrant dairy sector and make sure that we mitigate the impacts on the environment and water quality,” the MEP added.