McConalogue: Commission has been 'crystal clear' in derogation cut decision
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue during a press conference at Government Buildings, Dublin, following a Cabinet meeting. Picture: Brian Lawless
The European Commission has been “crystal clear” in terms of its decision to cut Ireland’s nitrates derogation from 250kg to 220kg, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has said.
Farmers are facing this drop from the start of next year, and they may have to resort to reducing cattle numbers or obtaining more land to comply with the new rules.
Mr McConalogue met with Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius in recent days, who has confirmed he will visit Ireland “and view the strong work being undertaken by farmers to improve water quality”, the minister said.
“This visit will provide an opportunity to show the commissioner in person how our agricultural production system differs to other member states," Mr McConalogue said.
“It will also provide an opportunity to showcase the efforts of Irish farmers to improve water quality, and help Ireland to lay the groundwork for the renewal of the derogation in 2026.”
Mr McConalogue told reporters at the National Ploughing Championships on Tuesday that his objective now going forward is to work with farmers to make sure “we put ourselves in the position whereby we can retain that derogation when it comes up for negotiation again at the end of 2025”.
He added that his officials are currently looking at what supports, if any, can be put in place for farmers affected by the derogation cut.
Ahead of next month’s Budget 2024, he said his priority “will be to continue the supports that we’ve done in the past and the delivery for farmers and look at how we can address the particular challenges this year too”.
Around 300,000 attendees are expected at the National Ploughing Championship's three-day event in Ratheniska, Co Laois.
On day one, 62,500 people attended.
President Michael D Higgins spoke at the official opening of the event, telling the crowd that "we are at a point of multiple crises".
"We are, all of us, as citizens, producers, consumers, farmers, asked to play a critical role in combating some of our greatest challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss," he said.
"I encourage our farmers to continue on the path of change, transcend difficulties by designing strategies of implementation, and lead the way in adopting sustainable practices that can be demonstrated as successes to the farming community, ones that safeguard our environment."
There is no shortage of activity in Ratheniska this week, and despite the weather that resulted in significant messiness and vehicles being pulled and pushed out of the car parks, National Ploughing Association assistant managing director Anna Marie McHugh said that they were keen that the event ran ahead as normal.
"We've had a few really challenging days, we had a deluge of water on Friday, a lot of remedial work has been done," Ms McHugh told the .
"We're really happy, it's happening and it's all good.
"People just put the wellies on, the raincoat and they get out there and make the best of it."
The ploughing competitions are "at the core" of the whole event, and while there have been "challenging conditions" for competitors, they are "well used to it, they usually have competitions in January, February, March, so they could be ploughing in snow", Ms McHugh added.
"But, I do feel a bit for the people with a two-wheel drive tractor rather than a four-wheel drive, but there you go!"
Down in the fields where the competitions are taking place, Jeremiah Delaney from Macroom, Co Cork, who was competing in the U40 horse class, concurred that the conditions were difficult to work in, but “we’ve no other choice than to suffer on”.
"We've been practising in dry weather, but that's the way it is, we've no other choice other than face it," Mr Delaney said, who was joined by his father JJ and helper Michael Lynch.
"We enjoy it. We're the only team from Co Cork ploughing with horses up here."
Michael Burke was Co Galway was there helping 19-year-old Killian Lydon from Moycullen, who was also competing in the u40 horse class.
"I grew up with it and this young man started coming with us with his father when he was nine years of age so he seems to have an interest in it now too and we hope that he'll carry it on," Mr Burke said.
"There's a big interest in it in Galway and always has been in horse ploughing."
However: "There aren't enough young people taking it up. There's a lot of time involved and for youth, they're coming into a time where they're getting into cars and driving machinery, and going abroad."
