Derogation cut: Angered dairy farmers protest outside Agriculture House
Members of The Irish Farmers' Association
Dozens of farmers protested the Department of Agriculture's headquarters over changes to EU rules around nitrates derogations as well as delayed payments to farmers.
The protest followed a decision by the European Commission not to review its decision to cease Ireland's nitrates derogation.
Nitrates loading rules mean that farmers must have sufficient land on which to spread the manure from their herds. The current limit is 170kg/ha.
However, Ireland’s nitrates derogation allows farmers who meet certain more rigorous conditions. Ireland’s current derogation is due to expire on January 1, 2026, with the derogation limit due to reduce to 220kg/ha from 250kg/ha on January 1, 2024, in certain areas.
It means thousands of dairy farmers will be forced to reduce their herd sizes over the next four months or spend money to acquire or rent additional land to adhere to the new rules.
On Tuesday, the IFA decided to picket the final meeting of the Farmers’ Charter group, which was due to take place in Portlaoise today (September 7).
However, last night, the meeting was cancelled and farm organisations were instead invited to a meeting in Dublin to discuss payments for 2023 and the nitrates derogation.
While some farming organisations have attended, the IFA refused.
Speaking outside, the Department of Agriculture, Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), said Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue acceded to these changes to the derogation without consultation with farmers which “has shown total disrespect” and “disregard for all farmers”.
He said the changes would mean a 15% cut in the production of dairy and livestock farmers.
Mr Cullinan said that the protests will be escalated with plans to protest outside the parliamentary think-ins of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael next week.
“Whatever length of time it takes with protests, we'll be there,” he said.
The IFA were joined in their protest by Macra na Feirme, with the organisation's president Elaine Houlihan saying they “firmly believe that a strong enough fight hasn't gone into save our derogation”.
“The Minister should have gone to Brussels and met with the commissioner.”
Pat Farrell, a dairy farmer from Stradbally in Co Laois, said there have been a lot of improvements made on farms over the years and “they haven't given them time to work”.
"It seems to be a done deal. The minister isn't looking after the farmers,” he said.
“The Taoiseach said he was going to look after the man who gets up early in the morning and this was his chance."
Mr Farrell said Mr McConalogue needs to listen to farmers and act.
“A lot of people have invested over the years in dairy and now it transpires a few years later the rug has been pulled from under their feet,” Mr Farrell said.
Jim Mulhall, from Kilkenny, said the nitrates derogation decision means that farmers will face increased competition for land.
"The nitrates are going to have a massive impact on farms. It's not just the farms that are affected directly by nitrates.
"It's the fact that the market disruption that we've seen last spring is going to increase exponentially in my view because people are just going to have to go rent more land to stand still, and that's a sad reality,” he said.
“That has a huge impact on farm businesses because you have no extra income for renting the land. People are being forced into the land market, which is the problem,” he said.
Patrick Walsh, farmer from west Offaly, said the decrease in production expected from farmers is going to hit farm incomes.
"To turn round and decrease production on the basis of nitrates is not right… It’s also putting pressure on food security,” he said.
"Farmers have agreed to 30 measures with regard to the climate action plan and let those measures be implemented, and let those measures bear fruit till we see what they achieve.”
Pat Carroll, farmer in south Tipperary, said the derogation changes is a massive issue and a major “unknown” for farmers as all these changes will have to be made within the next four months.
“Some farms may have to de-stock by up to 20%; they're gonna lose cows,” Mr Carroll said, adding that it is going to hit the smaller farmers hardest because one cow represents a bigger proportion of their income.
Farmers were also protesting in relation to delays in payments over the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme. The payment would usually be made during the week of the Ploughing Championship, but it has been delayed.
"What other sector in society would put up with a delay of a month in their income,” Mr Cullinan said. "This is real income for farmers.”
