Programme must be revised, says IFA
Industrial Committee chairman Tom Dunne said the IFA will drive this message home to Dáil Deputies, Senators and local and European election candidates.
An IFA organised meeting in Blarney last night examined the implications of measures included in the draft programme for commercial Munster farmers.
These included the impact on farm viability of proposals to restrict organic nitrogen applications to 170 kg nitrogen per acre and the costs of increased manure storage and bureaucracy.
Mr Dunne said the IFA is demanding that the Government honour its commitments in the national partnership agreement to engage with farming on the development of measures to be included in Ireland’s nitrates programme, and to ensure that organic nitrogen limits of up to 250 kg per hectare are provided from day one for Irish farmers.
ICMSA president Pat O’Rourke meanwhile convened and chaired a meeting in Mallow of farmers and processors in the dairy industry on the nitrates issue.
He said the meeting agreed that the nitrates directive poses a major threat to the incomes of dairy farmers and Ireland’s potential to fill the milk quota.
Mr O’Rourke said the Government must take serious action to formulate a scientifically based active programme for submission to the EU allowing for normal farming as carried out in Ireland to continue.
