Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has requested that European Commission vice-president Franz Timmermans and agriculture commissioner Janus Wojciechowski visit Ireland before any decision is made on the country’s nitrates derogation.

“Moving from 250kg of organic nitrogen per hectare to 220kg/ha would cause major challenges for the Irish dairy sector,” he told the European Parliament this week in Strasbourg.

“In the first instance, many dairy farmers currently under derogation would have to reduce their herd numbers. This would limit farm income, causing significant challenges in terms of repayment of debt.

“On the wider point, it would also have a serious impact on Ireland’s agri-food sector that is reliant on a consistent volume of national milk production.”

Dairy expansion

Kelleher said successive Irish governments have promoted dairying, and its expansion, since the publication of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy and pointed out that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) water quality review showed that “despite the major increase in dairying in recent years, our water quality has not disimproved”.

“This, to my mind, shows that the strong mitigation measures that farmers have put in place have worked,” Kelleher said.

“We need to allow more time for these measures to take full effect before a decision on the nitrates derogation is made,” he added.

Invite

“I’ve invited vice-president Timmermans and Commissioner Wojciechowski to visit Ireland and to meet with the farmers who will be severely impacted by the loss of the derogation and to also meet with the wider dairying and agri-food sector to hear their views and thoughts.

“What the vote on the nature restoration law tells me is that the European Commission needs to start listening to farmers and not stay insulated in their ivory towers in Brussels,” concluded Kelleher.

Protest

Farmers are expected to gather in Bandon, Co Cork, on Thursday evening to highlight the impact a cut in the derogation limits would have on their farms.

The rally is being organised by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) Cork region.

Cork central IFA chair Conor O’Leary said the protest will make the EU and Irish Government aware of the seriousness of the “mad move” to reduce stocking rates.