Intensive livestock farmers need to start preparing for a working environment without the nitrates derogation, according to the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).

The INHFA expressed surprise at the reaction of some farmers around the recent decision by the European Commission to effectively cut the upper limit for Ireland’s derogation farmers from 250kg of organic N per hectare (N/ha) to the new 220kg limit.

INHFA president Vincent Roddy said retaining the 250kg limit “was never going to be a runner at EU level”.

“When campaigning on this and other issues, there is a requirement that we don’t sell false hope and I feel that this is what could have happened here,” Roddy said.

Issue

“While I accept that this [reduction] will create an issue for some farmers and obviously you would expect that the necessary support will be provided here, we must also be conscious of the wider implications for the 125,000 farmers that are currently within the nitrates limits,” he pointed out.

“For these farmers where export markets are critical, it is vital that we protect Ireland’s green image and, where possible, build on it,” the INHFA president maintained.

“In the coming years, we will see a continued push to reduce the nitrates requirements even further as the European Union moves away from providing any country with a derogation on nitrates,” Roddy predicted.

The INHFA president said it was crucial that farmers were informed in a fair and balanced manner by their representative bodies and State agencies regarding policy change in Brussels and the likely impact at farm level across the EU.

“For the farmers between 170kg nitrogen per hectare and the new limit of 220kg nitrogen per hectare, this [move away from the derogation] will pose a challenge,” Roddy conceded.

“For these farmers [who are currently operating in derogation], it is vital that they start planning for this as soon as possible. And for advisory services and representative organisations, it is critical that they level with farmers and not stoke unrealistic expectations,” he added.