Derogation proposals to slash farm profits — Teagasc
The likely move by intensive dairy farmers if the organic nitrate limit per ha is reduced from 250 to 220kg (effectively fewer cows per hectare) is to move away from pasture-based systems.
Teagasc has warned nitrate banding and reducing the derogation limit from 250 to 220 could together reduce profitability by 29% on the worst-affected dairy farms.
Intended to reduce nitrogen pollution, the measures could backfire, because farmers would switch from pasture-based to high-input systems (forage maize and high concentrate feeding) which pose a higher risk to the environment.
