The proposed 35% cut in nitrogen usage is one of the most significant recommendations in the Food Vision Dairy Group draft report and is “excessively high” according to ICMSA president Pat McCormack.

The first draft of the report was released last Thursday and a meeting of farm organisations and stakeholders took place on Monday to discuss the proposals. McCormack told the Irish Farmers Journal that it was a meeting best described as one that shouldn’t have happened.

He described the group as the “dairy shrinkage group” and said that the targets set are not achievable.

“A 35% reduction in fertiliser usage could devastate the dairy industry. Targets should be ambitious but not unachievable,” he said.

He argued that multispecies swards are not proven enough yet, adding that it is going to take a significant amount of time for them to get established on farms.

“As an industry we need to embrace protected urea but that’s not feasible this year.

“I know hauliers who went to Rosslare for a load of protected urea and came home with 18-6-12. It was that or nothing,” he said.

IFA dairy chair Stephen Arthur said that the measures do nothing to enhance farmers’ incomes, only cut them.

“We are expected to be environmentally sustainable but not economically or socially.

“It’s a serious hit on dairy farmer incomes and I am seriously concerned,” he said.

Macra president John Keane said the main fall-out from the meeting was the lack of details on a retirement scheme.

“It’s limiting a young person entering the sector, there’s no mention of improved access for young people and there’s no link to generational renewal” he said.