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The Department of Agriculture’s definition of an intensive farm has been branded as “unacceptable” by the IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney. Speaking to farmers at a Macroom meeting he said: “It’s unacceptable that farms stocked at 1.5- to -two dairy cows/ha should be classed as intensive.” The definition is contained in the current Department’s interim review of the nitrates derogation. Cooney and IFA environment executive Thomas Ryan emphasised that farmers needed to make sure they had their input in the review as one of the questions the Department asked was whether all farmers who were classed as “intensive” should have to submit to derogation rules whether they were in derogation or not. Current derogation rules include spreading half of all farm slurry on or before 15 June. Any remaining slurry must be spread by Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS).
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