Nitrogen recommendations under scrutiny
Officials in his Department and in the Department of Agriculture are examining new Teagasc advice on how to adjust Ireland's Nitrates Directive action plan to make it more flexible for farmers, without additional risk to the environment.
Officials will check the changes recommended last week by Teagasc, to ensure they can be incorporated into an action plan which respects Nitrates Directive environmental requirements at least cost to Irish farmers, and does not undermine Ireland's case for a derogation on the nitrogen limit.
The Government will then make a case to the European Commission for revising the new rules on phosphorous and nitrogen usage which the Government wrote into legislation in December.
Teagasc Chairman Dr Tom O'Dwyer said there will be no detrimental consequences for water quality, if fertiliser rates are based on the latest phosphorus advice from Teagasc. And environmental research showed that the nitrogen recommendations in the document sent to the Government will not adversely impact on water.
Teagasc also recommended that pig, poultry and mushroom farmers be given a longer lead-in time than proposed by the Government to put extra storage in place, secure extra customers for farm yard manure and to adopt new technologies.
Macra na Feirme national president Colm Markey said the matter had now been concluded at Teagasc level, and he announced the young farmers' association has lifted its boycott of Teagasc. He said there were recommendations in the new document that would relieve some of the pressure on farmers, but was particularly disappointed by the proposed imposition of an overall nitrogen limit of 500kg.
