Teagasc defends nitrates advice

TEAGASC has insisted that as an independent body, it has provided the best scientific advice to the two Government departments directly concerned with the nitrates directive.

It followed a protest by an estimated 500 farmers over what they termed as “the ambiguity and contradictory advice” given by Teagasc leadership to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Environment on the key EU measure to protect waterways against pollution from agriculture.

The IFA, which organised a protest outside a Teagasc board meeting in Mount Juliet, Co Kilkenny, said this advice had weakened Ireland’s position and would result in serious damage to Irish agriculture and, in particular, the intensive livestock sectors.

IFA president John Dillon, who led the demonstration, said after the board meeting that he was not convinced that senior management in Teagasc would make the strongest case for farmers.

Prior to the meeting, he said Teagasc director Jim Flanagan had lost farmers’ confidence. He said the board must re-establish its independence and that that would necessitate a change in senior personnel and the instalment of new management.

Teagasc said it had considered at the meeting the consequences of the statutory instrument implementing the nitrates directive. It said it recognised the difficulties, especially for the pig and poultry industries, through the inclusion of maximum nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the regulations.

It said the final figures agreed with the EU Commission for inclusion in the regulations wold create significant difficulties for producers.

Teagasc said it would now explore with the two Government departments the possibility of negotiating derogation for phosphorus similar to the derogation negotiations already being progressed for nitrogen.

The authority decided to allocate the maximum possible additional advisory resources to its pig service to assist farmers with solutions to their particular problems as quickly as possible.

“Teagasc will engage in extensive consultations with stakeholders and will work with them to arrive at solutions to protect farmers and the many thousands of jobs in the processing and milling industries and the outlet for much of the cereals grown in Ireland,” it said.