This is a subscriber-only article
Dairy farmers can now receive free, confidential advice from the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme funded jointly by the Government and dairy processors.
Teagasc has 20 farm advisers available, complemented by 10 additional co-op staff, to work with dairy farmers in 190 catchments of rivers around the country where water quality is at risk. Participation is voluntary and while scientific teams from local authorities will provide assistance to measure water quality, the needs for improvements identified by farmers and advisers will not be communicated to nitrates inspectors.
“All farm organisations have offered genuine support for this,” said Noel Meehan of Teagasc.
Advisors will visit participating farmers and help them improve nutrient management by targeting slurry and fertiliser application, reduce nutrient loss near water sources and run better farmyard practices. The programme is open to farmers until 2021 and aims to improve water quality in all catchments identified, hopefully all the way to achieving “good” status under the EU nitrates directive.
SHARING OPTIONS: