Hill farmers will not allow the “sterilisation” of their lands through further designations, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has insisted.

Serious concerns were expressed at the farm body’s annual general meeting (AGM) around plans to designate 30% of country under the EU’s Biodiversity strategy.

INHFA members called on Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to publish the proposed designated areas before they are submitted to Europe and commit to a full discussion of the policy in the Oireachtas.

“It is our clear understanding that Ireland will outline to the [European] Commission our proposals relating to this [designations] by the end of this year,” INHFA president Vincent Roddy told delegates.

Not clear

However, he said it was not clear what proposals Ireland will make to Brussels as part of the state’s biodiversity strategy.

“Recently, I wrote to Minister Malcom Noonan, who has direct responsibility over this, requesting active engagement with key stakeholders similar to the engagement mechanism the DAFM used in developing Ireland's CAP plan,” Roddy said.

“Engagement at this level is absolutely essential, as this has the potential to herald the most significant change in land use policy since the foundation of the State - because once applied, a designation is permanent,” he added.

Minister McConalogue told the AGM that there would be 'comprehensive engagement and consultation with farmers'

Roddy warned that a combination of forestry and designations – including the classification of 10% of lands as strictly protected – had the potential to take half the country’s land area out of farming.

Minister McConalogue told the AGM that there would be “comprehensive engagement and consultation with farmers” before any decision would be made on further designations.

However, former INHFA leader Colm O’Donnell warned that the “clock was ticking” on the time available time for such consultations.

Sterilised

He told the AGM, which was held at Bush’s Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon, that farmers “would not put up” with any more designations or restrictions that effectively sterilised their lands.

“Our position…is that we will not allow any strict protection on our farmland. We want the right and the ability and the freedom of choice to farm our land,” O’Donnell said.

He maintained that any “strictly protected” designations should be confined to State land.