Water quality plan ‘unworkable’

A DRAFT plan to implement a key EU measure designed to protect water quality against nitrates from agriculture is unworkable, according to the Irish Farmers Association.

The action plan relating to the EU nitrates directive was rejected by delegates at the IFA’s two-day annual general meeting, which ended in Limerick yesterday.

It was drawn up by the Department of the Environment in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food and Teagasc and was published last month.

A consultative process for stakeholders, including farming organisations, will continue until February 19.

The plan addresses critical requirements such as stock limits, slurry storage and spreading, and best environmental practices at farm level.

Pádraig Walshe, who works an award winning dairy farm at Durrow, Co Laois, told the AGM that the plan had to be changed or a lot of commercial dairy farmers would not have a future.

IFA industry committee chairman Tom Dunne called on the Department of Agriculture and Food to become more pro-active in dealing with the draft plan and to protect commercial dairy farmers.

“We want to ensure at the very least that this action programme should not have a negative impact on incomes and that it won’t destroy competitiveness,” he said.

Stressing that farmers can’t afford the costs involved, IFA president John Dillon called on Teagasc to quantify the number of farmers affected, the cost of the investments required and the reduction of farm output, which the draft programme would require.

Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh told the meeting the issue had been around since 1991. It was vital to reach a conclusion. “At the end of the day we can get a sensible attitude and outcome,” he said.