ICSMA urges rethink on nitrate plan

Ireland: A serious rethink of the draft action programme for implementing the EU nitrates directive in Ireland is being sought by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.

It has come out strongly against the programme drawn up by the Department of the Environment in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food and Teagasc.

Rural Development Committee chairperson Lorcan McCabe said the ICMSA has serious problems with the proposed close period for land spreading of slurry (October 1 to January 15) and the minimum slurry storage requirements.

He said it will be making a full submission in the coming week that there should be no close period for slurry spreading and that, at the very most, 16 weeks slurry storage should be sufficient in each county.

Mr McCabe said the new REPS scheme, when approved, will accommodate 54,000 farmers. This will mean it should not be necessary to impose such strict slurry storage and spreading rules on all other farmers.

“I believe it will be impossible to implement the proposed action plan in its present form within four years,” he said.

“Farmers will not be able to carry the costs involved including slurry storage costs and the effects on farm income of having to reduce stock numbers to comply with the action programme.”