IFA will defend Nitrates rule-busting farmers
Tom Dunne, Chairman of IFA's National Industrial Committee, indicated IFA's legal case would be built around inadequate advice from Government agencies to farmers on how to comply with the Nitrates Directive.
"They are obliged to educate farmers on the Directive, and we believe that it is not workable as it is drafted", he said.
IFA sources believe the Department of Agriculture has decided against holding Nitrates Directive information meetings around the country, where the complex directive could be outlined to farmers, and their queries answered.
Mr Dunne said the vast majority of farmers will have difficulty in understanding the complex, 12,577 word text of what is officially known as the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2005.
He said EU regulations oblige the Department of Agriculture to educate farmers on the operation of the scheme, and the manner in which they propose to do that, by issuing an explanatory brochure, is neither adequate or acceptable.
Addressing an East Limerick IFA area meeting, he said that the implications of new Nitrates rules are frightening for farmers, most of whom will not be able to operate within the restrictions.
Tom Kennedy, Chairman, Pallasgreen IFA, told the meeting that most farmers "are totally unaware" of how the new rules will impact their operation.
"Farmers won't know what hit them when the inspectors from the Department arrive on their farms, because I believe that the majority of the farmers do not have a clue as to what is involved, and the Department are not prepared to come out to tell them."
Mr Dunne said, "It will be very difficult for any farmer to calculate application levels for fertiliser. If he enters his requirements for the year at 10 tonnes of fertiliser, and even if his stocking level permits a higher level, he will be incriminating himself by applying more, because he will be exceeding what he specified in his records."
