Nitrates Directive sparks fury
After meeting Environment Minister Dick Roche, Mr Dillon said he was particularly annoyed that 22 weeks of manure storage is proposed for Co Donegal.
ICMSA President Pat O’Rourke said the proposals spell disaster for farmers, who must now review their farm plans and investment.
He predicted that the Department of the Environment will make it illegal on January 1, 2006 to have more than 0.8 livestock units per acre, and the Department of Agriculture can stop Single Farm Payment cheques if this threshold is breached.
The Government had left farmers operating above 170 kg per hectare of organic nitrogen in a perilous position, says Macra na Feirme national president Thomas Honner.
He said many commercial farmers now depend on a derogation allowing them to operate at up to 250 kg, but the Government has no EU commitment on this, and even if the derogation is granted, it could be a bureaucratic nightmare.
ICOS President Donal Cashman also expressed strong disappointment with the outcome of negotiations on the Nitrates action programme.
Fine Gael Agriculture Spokesperson, Denis Naughten TD, said the Government was prepared to enter into any compromise to get the Nitrates issue off the table, and had put political expediency ahead of practical and sensible implementation.
But Green Party Deputy Leader and Agricultural spokesperson Councillor Mary White urged the Government and the IFA to accept the European Commission’s advice on the recommended Nitrates level of 170 kg per hectare.
Only the most intensive 2% of farmers would experience financial difficulty, she said.
