Doorstepping in the dark
The candidates can shed little light on the nitrates directive, milk quotas, the EU’s proposals to end export refunds, the prospects for live exports, or any of the other challenges to the continuation of Irish farming.
It seems that the only thing parties are sure about in the nitrates directive is that it was the other crowd that made a mess of it.
That’s little consolation to a dairy farmer who faces an income cut of up to 20% if the Directive is implemented as proposed by the European Commission.
Just when dairy farmers should be planning whether to expand or get out, they have been left in a political vacuum of indecision. No one can make big career moves until the milk quota trading picture clears up, and the dust settles on the CAP Mid Term Review.
Farmers are only getting clues to their future prospects, such as Commissioner Fischler’s seeing “no reason why Ireland shouldn’t get a derogation to 230kg”.
So far, the pending elections, instead of clarifying matters, have only muddied the waters.
In stark contrast to Commissioner Fischler, MEP candidate Mairead McGuinness says the EU Commission is opposed to any derogation above the legal limit of 170 kg organic nitrogen per hectare (two dairy cows or equivalent per hectare) for farmers in areas where water quality is deemed to be poor, and there’s no budge on not spreading fertiliser between September 15 and January 15.
She predicts that slurry storage facilities and spreading times will come into effect in 2005, and the limit of 170kg of organic nitrogen per hectare will be imposed in 2007, the same time as any derogation from that limit.
Perhaps European candidate Avril Doyle is closer to the truth with her suggestion that the Government here has bowed to expert and public opinion, and privately has opted for a 210/kg/ha minimum negotiating position, and will demand a 250kg/ha transition period. She predicts an announcement to this effect prior to polling day but warns the Government that they should be mindful of the strain and pressure that they are inflicting on thousands of farm families by playing politics with the Nitrates Directive.
But what do farmers make of these conflicting views on one of the complex issues which have paralysed their decision making.
It will be interesting to see how much progress farmers can make with ICMSA’s advice to ascertain where each and every candidate who comes to the door stands on the Nitrates Directive.
Any candidates who understand action programmes, derogations, nutrient management plans, stocking rates, standard organic N excretion levels, and availability of tillage spreadlands for pig and poultry farmers should at least get credit for being well informed.
IFA are meeting all candidates in the run up the June 11 elections to pin them down and get their full support for IFA’s stance on the Nitrates Directive at home and in Europe.
What good is support, when candidates on Irish doorsteps in the next three weeks are nearly as much in the dark as their constituents, on the issues that really matter to farmers?
