Plan on nitrates ‘could cost €1bn’

THE cost to farmers of implementing the Government’s draft action programme on nitrates could be over €1 billion, the IFA claimed yesterday.

President John Dillon, announcing a lobbying campaign on the issue, said these preliminary costs were from IFA consultants.

It is already clear that the proposals would cripple farming at the same time as the sector faces massive challenges to maintain its competitiveness under the Fischler CAP reforms and the WTO.