Plan on nitrates ‘could cost €1bn’
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.
“IFA consultants have already ascertained that 40,000 commercial farmers including dairy farmers and larger beef farmers could be saddled with costs running to over half-a-billion euro while a further 100,000 less intensive farmers would have to carry a similar burden between them,” he said.
Mr Dillon said the proposals were totally at odds with the realities of farm incomes under pressure.
“The draft action programme is unnecessary, unworkable and unaffordable.
“The proposals for up to six months’ manure storage and the prohibition on land spreading for the winter months are totally excessive,” he said.
Mr Dillon accused the departments of the environment and agriculture of failing to quantify, or take into account, the knock-on costs to farmers.
The normal business of the IFA national council will be suspended next Tuesday when its members and county chairmen lobby politicians at Leinster House.
