The report released on Friday proposes that these changes will come into effect from 1 January 2021 and guidance will be provided by means of a farm roadway specification.
Also recommended by the Expert Group was the prevention of livestock from accessing waterways on farms availing of the derogation.
Ensuring “drinking points must not be located within 20m of waters” on farms availing of the derogation was a further proposal outlined.
The expert group
The expert group is made up of officials from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Teagasc and the EPA.
It was set up to provide recommendations to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoin Murphy on the upcoming decision on whether or not to continue the nitrates directive in its current form.
IFA
The recommendations of the expert group have been met with mixed reaction from the IFA.
In a statement, IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney said the measures put forward, such as restricting livestock access to watercourses for farmers availing of derogation, will put extra cost on farmers and inevitably affect competitiveness.
Further recommendations
Further recommendations made included the “adoption of appropriate phosphorus build-up rates for farmed soil”.
For soils at P Index 1, the maximum build-up allowance, in addition to crop requirement, to be increased to 50kg/ha.For soils at P Index 2, the maximum build-up allowance, in addition to crop requirement, to be increased to 30kg/ha.Also recommended by the expert group was the implementation of a Knowledge Transfer Programme for farmers availing of increased phosphorus build-up allowances.
While Cooney welcomed the expert group’s acceptance for increased phosphorous allowances for soils with P indices 1 and 2, he criticised implementing a Knowledge Transfer Programme.
”The Knowledge Transfer Programme has simply become too complex. Therefore, the recommendations of the expert group to link addressing soil fertility issue with KT will add further complexity and may lead to the measure not being taken up.”
The review
The nitrates review is currently under way and a decision will be made in December.
The current standard limit of 170kg organic nitrogen per hectare or the higher limit of 250kg organic nitrogen per hectare is applied for those holding an approved derogation in Ireland.
Read more
Rules governing temporary grazing agreements
Overemphasis on agriculture when it comes to Ireland’s water quality – IFA
The report released on Friday proposes that these changes will come into effect from 1 January 2021 and guidance will be provided by means of a farm roadway specification.
Also recommended by the Expert Group was the prevention of livestock from accessing waterways on farms availing of the derogation.
Ensuring “drinking points must not be located within 20m of waters” on farms availing of the derogation was a further proposal outlined.
The expert group
The expert group is made up of officials from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Teagasc and the EPA.
It was set up to provide recommendations to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoin Murphy on the upcoming decision on whether or not to continue the nitrates directive in its current form.
IFA
The recommendations of the expert group have been met with mixed reaction from the IFA.
In a statement, IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney said the measures put forward, such as restricting livestock access to watercourses for farmers availing of derogation, will put extra cost on farmers and inevitably affect competitiveness.
Further recommendations
Further recommendations made included the “adoption of appropriate phosphorus build-up rates for farmed soil”.
For soils at P Index 1, the maximum build-up allowance, in addition to crop requirement, to be increased to 50kg/ha.For soils at P Index 2, the maximum build-up allowance, in addition to crop requirement, to be increased to 30kg/ha.Also recommended by the expert group was the implementation of a Knowledge Transfer Programme for farmers availing of increased phosphorus build-up allowances.
While Cooney welcomed the expert group’s acceptance for increased phosphorous allowances for soils with P indices 1 and 2, he criticised implementing a Knowledge Transfer Programme.
”The Knowledge Transfer Programme has simply become too complex. Therefore, the recommendations of the expert group to link addressing soil fertility issue with KT will add further complexity and may lead to the measure not being taken up.”
The review
The nitrates review is currently under way and a decision will be made in December.
The current standard limit of 170kg organic nitrogen per hectare or the higher limit of 250kg organic nitrogen per hectare is applied for those holding an approved derogation in Ireland.
Read more
Rules governing temporary grazing agreements
Overemphasis on agriculture when it comes to Ireland’s water quality – IFA
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