IFA role in national deals under threat

The IFA’s continued involvement in national partnership is on a knife-edge, it warned yesterday over what it termed as the unnecessary and damaging restrictions on productive agriculture in the Nitrates Directive Action Plan.

IFA president John Dillon said the sector is facing unscientific and highly damaging restrictions on the capacity of farmers to produce from grass which will not improve water quality, nor protect the environment.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael is to table a Dáil motion condemning Government for mishandling the issue and seeking explanations for the scientific basis of the proposals.