Issues around the nitrates derogation and water quality have not gone away, despite the three-year extension to the current nitrates derogation announced last year.
As part of that extension, Ireland decided to embark on an appropriate assessment process on the country’s 46 river catchments and 583 sub-catchments.
The future of the derogation in Ireland will ultimately be decided upon by the outcomes of the appropriate assessment process along with other key metrics.
Essentially, ecologists that undertake the assessment will need to decide if any additional nutrient load, such as a higher stocking rate from derogation farms, will have a negative impact on protected species within a habitat.
At Dairy Day, we will hear from the Department of Agriculture’s Ted Massey, the man heading up nitrates within the department. Ted will outline the approach to appropriate assessment and the likely outcomes.
Geraldine O’Sullivan is the environment committee executive with the IFA and Geraldine will report on the broader policy position within Europe – has it shifted, what’s happening in the Netherlands and the IFA interpretation of the appropriate assessment process and the likely outcomes.
Donal Daly is a retired water quality scientist having spent his career on catchment science with the EPA.
Donal will be asked for his take on where we’re at nationally in terms of water quality and will drill down into the contributing factors and farming’s role.
He will also discuss on-farm measures that could be employed for improvement in water quality.
Johnny O’Brien is the chair of Barryroe Co-op and Carbery Group. Johnny will discuss the implications for dairy co-ops and farmers of losing the nitrates derogation and what the sector including farming needs to continue to do to retain it.
This is just one session being discussed at Dairy Day, which takes place on Saturday 14 November at UL Sports Arena on the University of Limerick campus.
Tickets are available at www.ifj.ie/dairyday.
