Dairy farmers will be alarmed by stocking rates imposed by Teagasc on a new flagship network of farms.

The 100-plus farms expected to be enrolled in the Teagasc Signpost Programme will have a maximum stocking rate of 3.25 cows/ha on the grazing platform.

The Signpost farms are touted as demonstration farms for sustainability. It is widely expected that they will become the standard for future dairy policy and be an integral part of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance programmes.

If a limit on the grazing platform was introduced, then a significant number of dairy farmers would have to cut cow numbers.

Fragmented farms and those relying on zero-grazing would be hardest hit by any limits on grazing platform stocking rates.

The Department of Agriculture has said it plans to review grazing platform stocking rates as part of the next Nitrate Action Programme review in 2021, but a spokesperson insisted on Wednesday there are no current plans to introduce a limit.