Lakeland Dairies CEO Colin Kelly has slammed proposals from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture to amend the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) from 2026.

Around 30 new measures have been proposed under the new NAP, including that approximately 3,500 intensive livestock farms in NI will have to comply with strict new phosphorus (P) limits.

Kelly claimed the NAP could seriously undermine NI’s dairy sector and he called for a more balanced approach on the proposals, greater levels of consultation and longer lead-in times. The Lakeland Dairies CEO said it is critical that DAERA and NI’s Minister for Agriculture Andrew Muir worked with the dairy industry rather than against it.

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