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The future of many family dairy farms and the wider dairy sector is at stake due to new nitrates derogation proposals, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA).
It follows on from the Department of Agriculture's plans for an appropriate assessment (AA) under the Habitats Directive for the purpose of securing a nitrates derogation post 2025.
The association has criticised that the 7,000 farmers farming currently under derogation will be asked to meet water quality regulations and conditions of the Habitats Directive, even though most of these farmers do not farm designated lands.
ICMSA president Denis Drennan said the reason why some habitats are not at the required standards is the complete failure of the National Park and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to implement the regulations properly.
“Now, they want 7,000 farmers to pay the price for their incompetence and, be very clear, no member state in the EU is meeting the requirements of the Habitats Directive,” he said.
“This AA process could be ‘the straw that breaks the back’ of Irish dairying.”
Assessments
The ICMSA also voiced its complaints towards the Agriculture Water Quality Group who had not met for almost four months in the lead up to this proposal.
Drennan called for an immediate and full impact analysis of the proposed process, the full details of how the Department intend to implement the process and how it will work at farm level.
“This brutally unfair double-standard is happening under the eyes of rural TDs and those TDs had better realise that there will be an announcement on CAP post 2027 next week and on the plan the Minister intends to submit to the EU Commission by the end of July,” he added.
“Farmers are entitled to ask the question: will the same rules apply to Irish Water on water quality? Or to Dublin airport on emissions? Will those operations have to do an AA and if there is a problem, will they be asked to cut back?
“Everyone knows the answers and, yet again, there is one draconian rule for farm families and other small businesses and another ‘work away and expand’ rule for state agencies.”
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