Increasing numbers of dairy farmers availing of the nitrates derogation has prompted the Department of Agriculture to review its conditions.

Almost 7,000 intensively stocked farmers with an agricultural area of 466,000ha availed of the derogation in 2018.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, opening the 2019 scheme for applications, said this was a marked increase in both the area and the number of farmers since 2014.

Review

“In order to ensure the sustainable continuation of the derogation, a review will examine further opportunities for derogation farmers to improve efficiencies and continue to reduce their environmental footprint,” he said.

Recommendations from the review will be published in June 2019, for implementation in 2020.