'Huge consequences' for farmers as meeting with commissioner fails to change nitrates outcome

IFA national environment chairman Paul O’Brien, said the reality is that reducing the upper limit of the derogation from 250kg of organic nitrogen per hectare to 220kg will have "little impact on water quality".

Farmers have said it is "totally unfair" that they may have to reduce their stocking numbers by January 1 to comply with the changes to the nitrates derogation rules.

Following a meeting in Dublin with the EU Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius today, Irish Farmers' Association president Tim Cullinan said farmers have been "thrown under a bus" by the Minister for Agriculture and the EU Commission.