FARMING GROUPS HAVE hit out over the decision to cut Ireland’s nitrates derogation limits from 250kg of organic nitrogen per hectare to 220kg per hectare. 

Ireland’s nitrates derogration provides farmers an opportunity to farm at higher stocking rates when they take extra steps to protect the environment. 

At present, the derogation is available to grassland farmers on an individual basis and permits farmers up to 250kg of organic nitrogen per hectare, rather than the 170kg livestock manure nitogen her hectare without derogation. 

For example, a farmer must not exceed two dairy cows per hectare without a derogation but can farm at almost three cows per hectare if approved for a derogation.

Ireland’s current derogation is due to expire on 1 January 2026, and the derogation limit is due to reduce to 220kg per hectare on 1 January 2024 in certain areas, because the latest water quality results have not shown sufficient improvement, according to the Department of Agriculture. 

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said today that the EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius has confirmed there was no prospect of re-opening the current Commission decision. 

“I made a strong case to Commissioner Sinkevicius for the retention of Ireland’s 250kg per hectare derogation until the next review, based on Ireland’s unique, grass based agricultural system, the measures farmers had already taken to improve water quality, and the need for additional time to see the results of these measures in our water quality indicators,” Minister McConalogue said. 

“The Commissioner made it clear that Ireland is one of only three remaining member states with a derogation, while stressing that there is no prospect of re-visiting the current decision,” he said. 

“It may be possible to make some very minor adjustments to the current mapping based on scientific parameters, but these are unlikely to affect the vast majority of derogation farmers,” the Minister said.

He added that the Department of Agriculture “will be examining this over the next few weeks”.

McConalogue said it is “critical now that derogation farmers, with the help of their advisors, make the necessary arrangements to manage their holdings within the derogation limits applying from 1 January next year”. 

Reaction 

In a statement today, Irish Farmers’ Association president Tim Cullinan said the European Commission’s decision will have “massive ramifications” for Irish farmers “if it is allowed to transpire”. 

“Dairy farmers are going to take a direct hit on income. But in reality, it will have knock-on repercussions for all sectors due to the massive disruption to the land market the decision will bring about,” Cullinan said. 

Cullinan said there needs to be an “intervention” from the Taoiseach with the European Commission. 

“This change will do very significant damage to the incomes of derogation farmers,” he said. 

President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Pat McCormack, said that with this one decision “this Government has put a nail in the coffin of many family dairy farms that have been worked for generations”.