Stabilisation of water quality needed to secure nitrates derogation post 2025
Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius' visit confirmed that farmers in certain locations, where water quality failed to show significant improvement as part of an interim review of the Nitrates Action Programme, would be in receipt of a lowered maximum stocking rate under the nitrates derogation.
For the farmers impacted, it will mean reducing their overall stocking rate from 250kg of organic nitrogen per hectare back to 220kg of organic nitrogen per hectare from January 1st next year to ensure compliance. Some of the means available to farmers to achieve this is by either diluting the farm’s total organic nitrogen across a larger farmed area through acquiring additional lands, reducing stock numbers, exporting slurry or using the services of a contract rearer.
Also read: The options available to farmers impacted by the nitrates derogation reduction
Along with this reduction, a growing concern across the wider agricultural industry is the securing of a nitrates derogation post 2025 – be it at 220kg of organic nitrogen per hectare for farmers affected by last week’s revelation or 250kg per hectare for those not.
To provide some clarity on the matter, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue addressed this week’s Teagasc National Dairy Conference, he said: “Irish water quality is good compared to other EU member states. However, the level of nutrients in many of our waters still remain too high and we do need to see a stabilisation and improvement in those trends.
“The new measures introduced in the fifth Nitrates Action Plan will reduce nutrient loss. However, we do need to continue to work hard on that process within all farms right across the country.
“The government has committed to retaining Ireland’s nitrates derogation and I will work through the Water Quality Working group, which I set up earlier this summer, to achieve that goal.
“The volume of fertiliser sold is likely to be lower this year relative to last year and indeed the reduction in chemical nitrogen over the last two years will also have an effect in relation to improving water quality.”
Minster McConalogue also commented on last week’s meeting with Commissioner Sinkevičius, he said: “During last week’s visit, the Commissioner stated that Ireland would need to have at least stable water quality to ensure a future nitrates derogation, so that very much needs to be our focus and the concentration of our work over the next 15 months to two years.
“It is critical that everyone across the agri-food industry focuses on improving water quality to strengthen our case for the renewal of that derogation in 2026.”
The work of the above mentioned Water Quality Working Group, Minister McConalogue said, will focus on actions with “the objective of making sure we continue to take steps that will put us in the best place possible to re-secure that derogation at the end of 2025”.
For more from the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, click here.