REPS ‘improving environment and increasing income of farmers’

THE Rural Environment Protection Scheme is providing a double dividend by improving the natural environment and increasing the income of participating farmers, Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle said yesterday.

He told the Teagasc national REPS conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly that the scheme, introduced more than a decade ago, has been a considerable success.

“There has been a lot of emphasis on the contribution of the scheme to farm income and the rural economy.

“But it is the widespread engagement of the farming community, with almost 60,000 participants farming 50% of the utilisable land area, that marks its real success,” he said

Professor Boyle welcomed the changes introduced in REPS4, which allow more intensive farmers to join the scheme, provided they have nitrates derogation.

The indications to date suggest a high level of interest from this sector.

The Teagasc director said the trend in fertiliser use is an important indicator of future pressures on water quality.

The quantities of fertiliser being used in Ireland have been falling for some time.

This has saved money for farmers and contributed tangible benefits to the environment he said, noting that REPS is playing an important role in delivering this double dividend.

Professor Boyle said nitrogen sales have decreased by 22% from a peak of 443,000 tonnes in 1998/99 to 345,000 tonnes in 2005/2006.

Phosphorus sales fell by 42% from a high of 64,573 tonnes in 1989/90 to 37,209 tonnes in 2005/2006.

This represents a fall of 100,000 tonnes of nitrogen and 27,000 tonnes of phosphorous with an annual saving of more than €100 million or almost €1,000 per farm.

“The National Farm Survey has over the years shown that REPS farms support stocking rates similar to their extensive non-REPS counterparts while spending significantly less on fertilisers.

“This saving on fertiliser can contribute 800 per annum to the income of the average size REPS farm,” he said.