Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you will have heard about the nitrates derogation. In some corners of this country, it’s spun as an excuse that allows farmers to farm as intensively to make the maximum profit regardless of the impact on the environment.

Clearly, this is not the case.

The nitrates regulations were introduced 20 years ago, with the aim of reducing the loss of nitrates to the three main water bodies (ground, surface and estuarine), it is something that Irish agriculture has adopted over the last 20 years.

Substantial investment has been made on foot of the derogation, it is difficult to quantify how much stainless steel and concrete was purchased and continues to be repaid on the strength of the derogation.

We are now looking at the possibility of the reduction of our limits to 170Kgs/Ha.

All farming organisations stand together on this matter, the reduction to 220 Kg/Ha has had a detrimental effect on Irish agriculture, any further reduction would be disastrous.

Fight like never before

Macra is calling upon Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, the Government and all of our political parties to fight to retain our current levels like they have never fought before. This is not about farming profits, it’s about our rural communities, it is about Irish society as a whole.

All of the Government parties support the concept of family farms, the derogation as it stands is one of the key supports that make the family farm viable.

Were the limits from 220 Kg/Ha to 170 Kg/Ha, this would represent a reduction in the maximum stocking rate of approximately 23%.

Without going into the economics of it, a reduction in farm herd numbers of 23% will not result in a reduction in profits (otherwise known as a wage) of 23% on farms, it will result in a greater decrease depending on the setup. The repayments on the above-mentioned stainless steel and concrete will still need to be made with a reduction in income.

What was viable, will stop being viable. Macra asks why is it acceptable to expect an industry that feeds 40 million people to take a minimum of a 23% pay cut?

Without family farms, there will be no one to tog off for the local GAA team, there will be no pupils for the local school, there will not be enough business to keep a post office or a small shop open, there will be nothing. In as much as Macra advocates for young farmers and their access to land, if there are no viable farms, then there will be no farmers at all.

Exclusion of others

Instead, we will be left with large enterprises that have the means to hoover up land to the exclusion of all others. Rural Ireland as we know and love it will cease to exist, instead it will become a retirement home with no services and no community.

Regardless of what farming organisation an individual is a member of, regardless of what political party a person supports, we must all work together in order to save rural Ireland.

These are not just words, they are a warning as to what could happen in the future, unless we act now and those whom we elect also act now.