Inflexible farming calendar restricts expansion hopes
Submissions have been made to make changes that will impact farms. Ministers Simon Coveney and Phil Hogan have introduced measures recognising the hardship caused by weather. This pragmatism is a basis for negotiations during this review, which must make the regulations workable. IFA’s environment committee chairman, Harold Kingston, looks at the key issues.
*What are the big concerns for farmers in this review?
>>“The inflexibility of the rigid-calendar farming regime continues to be a major issue. Farmers want to work to the best farming and environmental conditions, be it October or March. However, the existing nitrates regulations prevent this. With the review now underway, there is an opportunity to implement a number of decisions, which make the overall regime more workable.”
*Farmers are reporting a fall in phosphorous levels in soils. What impact is this having on farm output?
>>“Phosphorous deficiency in Irish soils requires urgent attention. The most recent Teagasc soil samples show that over 50% of soils have inadequate phosphorous levels to support grass growth. Unless addressed by 2020, this will have jumped to over 80%. This will lead to yield loss of up to €180 per acre, where soil P levels are at index 1 instead of index 3. We are among the world’s best at growing grass. This gives us a competitive edge and green credentials. Reaching index 3 can work for farming, and the environment, by feeding nutrient-hungry soils, while not compromising water quality. If the goals of Food Harvest 2020 are to be achieved, this issue must be addressed.”
*The management and storage of dirty water — is it still a contentious issue?
>>“The regulations allow farmers to spread dirty water all year round, with a minimum storage requirement of 10 days. However, the definition of soiled water, as set out by the Department of Agriculture, can mean that this dirty water usually ends up being classified as slurry, with full, closed period and storage requirements applying. This strict definition is out of line with other countries, such as England. If farmers can’t spread this dirty water due to wet weather, for example, then it builds up during the summer months and must be stored over the entire winter. This adds substantial construction and storage costs to the sector, due to an excessive administrative interpretation by policy-makers.”
*The pig and poultry sectors grapple with the implementation of the nitrates regulations. What are their main concerns?
>>“In the last six years, the pig and poultry sectors have been under huge financial pressure, because of increased compliance costs and falling product prices. These sectors, with the support of Teagasc, have explored alternatives to land-spreading of organic manure, but they were found to be unviable. Anything that limits the use of slurry would deprive tillage and grassland farmers of a valuable source of organic fertiliser. The existing arrangements have been beneficial in encouraging the use of organic fertilisers, instead of expensive, imported chemical fertilisers, but this benefit is set to reduce over the coming years. These transitional arrangements must be extended to avoid severely impacting farmers, who wish to use this valuable fertiliser source.”
*Is the water-quality inspection regime really as onerous as farmers make out?
>>“Absolutely, and it’s a wasteful spend of taxpayers’ money, with State bodies falling over each other to inspect farmers. For the single issue of water quality, a farmer could be inspected by someone from the local authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Inland Fisheries Ireland. It’s farcical and an obvious duplication of work by public bodies, which must be addressed as part of this review. In 2009, there were efforts to streamline the regime, with the Department of Agriculture responsible for routine inspection. This agreement was largely ignored by local authorities and has led to an unjustifiable increase in inspections. It’s about time the risk-based approach, which applies to general farm inspections, and the forthcoming septic-tank inspections, is used for nitrates and water quality. All these agencies must resolve their territorial issues and accept that Department of Agriculture inspections are an adequate single-agency approach.”
*What are some of the challenges facing the tillage sector?
>>“Irish grain trades at world prices, but obligations placed on tillage farmers are not the same across the world, or even in Europe. Practical obligations, like green cover over the winter, are not in place in other member states. This , and the ban on winter ploughing for spring crops, is eroding competitiveness by up to €60/ha. There is also a need to make provision for autumn scutch and weed grass control and to allow remedial actions, such as sub-soiling and early ploughing, to restore compacted soil structure.
