Derogation farms generate €900m per year – IFA

Farmers who hold a nitrates derogation generate €900m a year for themselves and their local communities, according to the IFA.

Speaking at a meeting in Macroom on Thursday, IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy told farmers in the room that derogation farmers in Cork account for €300m of that output.

Kennedy was speaking at the first of a series of IFA meetings across the country to highlight the importance of Ireland’s nitrates derogation as the Department of Agriculture conducts a voluntary review of derogation.

The meeting highlighted that although the number of farmers seeking a derogation to have a higher stocking rate has not increased substantially, the amount of land under derogation has jumped.

The Department review document states: "The area farmed under derogation, stocked at up to 250kg livestock manure N/ha, has increased by 34% from 2014 to 2018."

Doomsday

Local agricultural advisor Owen O’Driscoll reminded farmers that when the Netherlands lost its derogation up to 200,000 cows had to be culled.

“That would be like doomsday for Irish farmers who have been expanding,” O’Driscoll told the crowd.

“The farmer who has gone up to 150 cows could have to go back down to 100 cows overnight if we lost the derogation in two years.”

Water quality

IFA environment executive Thomas Ryan told farmers that although agriculture might be bashed by various media outlets over climate and water quality, that Ireland actually had the sixth-best water quality in Europe.

He did warn farmers that the European Commission would expect even more improvements in water quality in time for the next official nitrates derogation review.

“We will still have sustainability asks in our sector,” he said.

Fighting to keep derogation

IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney told the crowd that he intended to fight “tooth and nail” to keep the nitrates derogation in 2021.

“Farmers have invested heavily in equipment and it’s vital that we keep the derogation,” Cooney said.

He also raised concerns that the Department had classed farmers with a stocking rate of 1.5 LU/ha as “intensive”.

Cooney and Ryan emphasised that farmers needed to make sure they had their input in the review, because one of the questions the Department asked in its review document was whether all farmers who were classed as intensive should submit to derogation rules, whether they were in derogation or not.

Farmers have until 24 May to have their say in the review. More details can be found on the Department website here.

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