Free advice for farmers on profits from environmental management

FARMING the Environment is part of an ongoing project that Monaghan and Longford County Councils have been working on with farmers to help them cut costs and improve their environmental performance

Over the past two years they have identified opportunities for more efficient use of farm inputs, energy and water.

The booklet brings together case studies and tips for preventing waste and making savings on energy and water costs.

Key message of the booklet is that if people don’t create waste in the first place they won’t have to pay the financial and environmental costs of dealing with it later.

Environmental Protection Agency programme manager Gerry Byrne said as the financial climate for agri-business looks more challenging, farmers can use the tips in this booklet to ensure that they are getting the best value for money spent on farm inputs, water and energy.

“Small innovations in farm practice can lead to real savings in cost and improvements in environmental performance,” he said.

Savings demonstrated by farmers working with the councils in the Local Authority Prevention Demonstration (LAPD) Programme are outlined in the booklet.

A 123 acre dairy farmer who changed from using plastic bag fed meal to bulk delivery saved €1,800 in costs and almost a quarter of a tonne of plastic bags in one year.

A pig farmer is installing two 72,000 litre rain water storage tanks at a cost of €110,000. His yearly savings are projected to be €37,000. At current water charge levels, the system will have paid for itself in just under three years.

According to a survey carried out by Monaghan Council Council last year, 40% of farmers who developed new environmental practices have done so to reduce costs.

The booklet, which can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website www.lapd.ie, includes checklists on how to manage waste, water and energy and a section on benchmarks that will show farmers how well they are performing against the best in their sector.