Farmers in huge swathes of the country are set to have their nitrogen derogation limits cut from 250kg organic nitrogen per hectare (N/ha) to 220kg N/ha on foot of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, which will be sent to the European Commission.
Data presented to the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group on Thursday and seen by the Irish Farmers Journal shows that the water quality metrics required to retain the derogation weren't met.
"Based on the specified water quality criteria set out by the Commission, over 44,000km2 of land is identified as requiring additional measures to protect water quality," the EPA report states.
"The Commission also requires that by 1 January 2024, derogation farms located within this area reduce their application rate of manure from a maximum of 250 kg nitrogen/ha per year to 220 kg nitrogen/ha per year."
As a result, farmers in counties like Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon, Laois, Cork, Kerry and Longford are likely to see their derogation cut.
'No escape' from cuts
No county will escape the cut in derogation, however most of Donegal is likely to retain the 250kg N/ha limit.
Western parts of Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick and Kerry, where there are less farmers with a nitrates derogation compared to the midlands and east, are likely to see the 250kg N/ha retained.
A map of the areas where the derogation will be cut to 220kg N/ha from January. \ EPA
The data presented to the working group will be sent to the European Commission by the Department of Agriculture, and the Commission will ultimately decide whether to cut the derogation or not.
In awarding Ireland the derogation, the Commission imposed conditionality around water quality trends.
Its implementing decision states that where water quality is poor, or where worsening trends occur over the period 2021-2022, the maximum livestock manure N/ha limit must be reduced from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha from January 2024.
Cynical pretence
ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that the decision marks the end of the current Government’s cynical pretence about managed reduction of dairy volumes and that the real intent now stands revealed.
McCormack said that the almost nationwide reduction, taken together with cow banding, represents a “twin-attack on the family dairy farm system that built Ireland’s multi-billion euro dairy system and funnelled those export revenues through their yards into their local communities”.
The ICMSA leader warned that the Government’s final unveiling of what he said was obviously “their true intention all along” will rebound on the Government, because it will force local politicians and TDs to confront the destructive reality of Government policy.
“It’s out there now - the almost-nationwide reduction of N, regardless of geographic consideration or improving water quality, and nobody can plead ignorance anymore.
"The Government has shown us what they intend to do and we are now calling on every single rural politician in Ireland to show this Government what rural Ireland intends doing over the next rounds of elections,” he said.
McCormack said he has appealed to the Minister for Agriculture to delay making a proposal on these “ruinous ideas” to the Commission, so that sensible proposals can be put in place that will not fatally wound Ireland’s most famous and world-renowned family dairy farm sector.
Derogation farmers
Some 7,302 farmers applied for a nitrates derogation in 2023. This was an increase of 10% on 2022 applications when 6,723 farmers applied.
Data from 2021 shows that Cork and Tipperary had the highest number of farmers in derogation, with over 2,000 farmers in Cork and 862 in Kilkenny.
Read more
Map: 2021 nitrates derogation applications by county
Derogation changes to cost farmers up to €18,300
Derogation applications rise by almost 10%
Farmers in huge swathes of the country are set to have their nitrogen derogation limits cut from 250kg organic nitrogen per hectare (N/ha) to 220kg N/ha on foot of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, which will be sent to the European Commission.
Data presented to the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group on Thursday and seen by the Irish Farmers Journal shows that the water quality metrics required to retain the derogation weren't met.
"Based on the specified water quality criteria set out by the Commission, over 44,000km2 of land is identified as requiring additional measures to protect water quality," the EPA report states.
"The Commission also requires that by 1 January 2024, derogation farms located within this area reduce their application rate of manure from a maximum of 250 kg nitrogen/ha per year to 220 kg nitrogen/ha per year."
As a result, farmers in counties like Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon, Laois, Cork, Kerry and Longford are likely to see their derogation cut.
'No escape' from cuts
No county will escape the cut in derogation, however most of Donegal is likely to retain the 250kg N/ha limit.
Western parts of Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick and Kerry, where there are less farmers with a nitrates derogation compared to the midlands and east, are likely to see the 250kg N/ha retained.
A map of the areas where the derogation will be cut to 220kg N/ha from January. \ EPA
The data presented to the working group will be sent to the European Commission by the Department of Agriculture, and the Commission will ultimately decide whether to cut the derogation or not.
In awarding Ireland the derogation, the Commission imposed conditionality around water quality trends.
Its implementing decision states that where water quality is poor, or where worsening trends occur over the period 2021-2022, the maximum livestock manure N/ha limit must be reduced from 250kg N/ha to 220kg N/ha from January 2024.
Cynical pretence
ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that the decision marks the end of the current Government’s cynical pretence about managed reduction of dairy volumes and that the real intent now stands revealed.
McCormack said that the almost nationwide reduction, taken together with cow banding, represents a “twin-attack on the family dairy farm system that built Ireland’s multi-billion euro dairy system and funnelled those export revenues through their yards into their local communities”.
The ICMSA leader warned that the Government’s final unveiling of what he said was obviously “their true intention all along” will rebound on the Government, because it will force local politicians and TDs to confront the destructive reality of Government policy.
“It’s out there now - the almost-nationwide reduction of N, regardless of geographic consideration or improving water quality, and nobody can plead ignorance anymore.
"The Government has shown us what they intend to do and we are now calling on every single rural politician in Ireland to show this Government what rural Ireland intends doing over the next rounds of elections,” he said.
McCormack said he has appealed to the Minister for Agriculture to delay making a proposal on these “ruinous ideas” to the Commission, so that sensible proposals can be put in place that will not fatally wound Ireland’s most famous and world-renowned family dairy farm sector.
Derogation farmers
Some 7,302 farmers applied for a nitrates derogation in 2023. This was an increase of 10% on 2022 applications when 6,723 farmers applied.
Data from 2021 shows that Cork and Tipperary had the highest number of farmers in derogation, with over 2,000 farmers in Cork and 862 in Kilkenny.
Read more
Map: 2021 nitrates derogation applications by county
Derogation changes to cost farmers up to €18,300
Derogation applications rise by almost 10%
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