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Wicklow dairy farmer, Jack Keenan, has warned that nitrates derogation changes cutting maximum stocking rates to 220kg N per hecare (N/ha) will cut €40,000 from his farm income.
“For a small dairy farm, below average size, milking 65 cows, if we go back to 220kg N, I stand to lose 13 cows, but not only 13 cows; €40,000 of our farm income is gone,” he explained.
Confronting Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue at Teagasc Moorepark 2023, Keenan said: “That’s a very good wage and if you’re doing your job at the top of your game, would you lose €40,000? I gave up an engineering degree to return home to farm, and yourself and Minister Hackett in 2021 stood in our farm in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, as building work started.
“That year, we spent €580,000 on slurry storage. We have a business plan done with AIB to get to 80 cows. I can’t get to 80 cows. I’m losing 13 cows. I’m going back the way.
“How is that going to be viable for me going forward? I’m 30 years of age. I’ll have family maybe in the future. Where am I going to go?”
Farm
The young farmer runs his 65 cows, 18 heifers and 21 heifer calves, on 23ha of owned and 9ha rented, as well as some silage ground, at 237kg N/ha currently.
“We’re at 65 currently and we’ve slurry storage for 80 cows, but we actually have 40% extra slurry storage if we had 80 cows milking today. That’s what we’ve built.
“I came out of ag college in 2013. The message was 'drive on' with food production. We’ve improved genetics throughout the herd. It’s going to be hard to find 13 cows that I can get rid of,” he said.
Challenges
Keenan also warned that talk of dairy cow cull schemes and milk price cuts are creating more uncertainty.
“Older farmers are looking for [a cull scheme], but the younger farmers aren’t so much in favour, because we’re going to get hit with the derogation anyway.
“[Retailers] should be supporting farmers when they need it most now. Normal people don’t understand. They’re delighted to go home, 20c off a litre of milk. We’re the ones that are really carrying the burden and it can’t keep happening.”
Listen to Keenan's views below.
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