Banning splash plates for derogation farmers and getting them to use low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment instead is “impractical”, IFA inputs project team chair John Coughlan has said.

“They expect 12,000 farmers to use LESS equipment by April 2020. That’s nine months away. It is too short, totally impractical and will not work,” he said.

Farmers are willing to play our part in dealing with climate change, but we cannot run our businesses like this

There is already a 12-month backlog for some of this equipment, according to the IFA, and Coughlan pointed out that the unrealistic time frame is distorting the trade by playing into the hands of manufacturers and distributors.

Coughlan has called on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to increase the time frame to at least five years to allow farmers to plan for this huge expense.

“Farmers are willing to play our part in dealing with climate change, but we cannot run our businesses like this. We are struggling with difficult markets and high input costs and now we have Government bodies who refuse to engage with the practicalities of farming,” he said.

In its pre-Budget 2020 submission, the IFA is asking for the overall grant aid available for the LESS scheme to be increased to 60%; the separate limit to general TAMS to be increased; LESS to be included in an enhanced GLAS and that investment in LESS equipment be exempt from VAT.

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