Last Wednesday evening saw a big virtual turnout for an IFA information meeting to look at the Nitrates Action Programme and the Climate Action Bill.

Environment chair Paul O’Brien and executive Geraldine O’Sullivan gave comprehensive rundowns of the complex rules and conditions that farmers must adhere to.

With the scale of the challenge for farming in meeting its obligations now apparent, this was a well-timed meeting. While the focus is now understandably on the impact the minimum 22% sectoral reduction in carbon emissions will have on the future of the dairy herd, 2022 sees a new nitrates programme, which we must assume will be approved by Brussels next month.

With fertiliser prices where they are, farmers have never been so acutely aware of the value of slurry and farmyard manure (FYM). This is in ways a perfect opportunity to take steps towards a new level of nutrient usage efficiency.

Paul O’Brien described the future of the nitrates programme as being one of “constant review and constant monitoring”. While previously there was a little breathing space between the agreement of one nitrates programme and the negotiations towards its successor, “it’s no longer a case that we can say that’s done and dusted for four years and we can move on to other issues”, O’Brien said.

He was adamant that the campaign to minimise the widening of the closed period for slurry and dung spreading will continue. The proposal is to move from the 15 October to 15 September in a phased way.

“We strongly say the science is not backing you on this,” said O’Brien. “All the science is behind us.”

The plan for this year is a closing date of 8 October. In 2023 that comes back to October, before moving back into September in 2024. “The Department have to conduct trials to determine if we can spread up to those dates,” O’Brien explained, with the good news that the data capture to match weather and soil conditions to whether spreading is allowed is now about ready. He pointed out that 2021 was a year where conditions would have allowed spreading to continue.

In terms of soiled water, he said the rules now require 10 days of storage for soiled water this year, 21 days in 2023 and a whopping 31 days in 2024. A month’s storage will stretch many farms’ capacities.

O’Brien also spoke of the increase in the organic nitrogen load being applied to dairy cows.

First, some good news. Band one, for cows with an output of less than 4,500kg, will be 80kg down from the current flat rate of 89kg. This will apply to about 15% of the dairy herd, O’Brien said.

Band two will account for 70% of cows, and will see a slight increase to 92kg. Band three, for high-output cows, will see a significant increase, from 89kg to 106kg. “You have to have considerable sympathy to those guys [affected farmers],” O’Brien added, also remarking that the three-year rolling average that will apply will be “of considerable advantage”.

“People have the idea nitrates is just for livestock farmers,” said O’Brien, highlighting the new measures that tillage farmers must adhere to.

He contrasted the phosphorus (P) challenge on some soil types with the nitrogen (N) challenge on others: “There’s more a problem with P loss on heavy peatlands as N loss from lighter soils.”

He said that sediment can also be an issue - hence the focus on establishing green cover on all tillage fields within seven days of harvesting.

This was something that Wicklow farmer James Hill contested. “Most harvests, farmers are struggling to get their corn cut, and delivered, and the straw baled and removed. How can they meet this seven-day deadline if the harvest is broken, as most harvests are?” he asked.

We heard that over 90% of ammonia pollution in Ireland comes from agriculture. LESS is one way of tackling this.

“All pig slurry must be LESS or incorporated within 24 hours of application,” O’Brien said.

He is looking for significant funding to assist farmers to build external storage, the IFA wants it separated from other TAMS support, with a separate threshold.

“When it comes to nitrates and when it comes to watercourses, we can fix many of the issues ourselves. We have it in our power,” said O’Brien.

He highlighted that a considerable amount of money has been given to Irish Water “to clean up their act” in terms of untreated and poorly treated sewage.

The extent of communication between the IFA and the Department was recounted. The first submission was lodged in January, with a second submission in September.

There was constant engagement with Department of Agriculture, the EPA, Teagasc, and the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. “Over 600 submissions went into the department,” O’Brien said, highlighting the extent of external interest and activism around the nitrates programme.

“It’s phenomenal how quickly policy in this area has changed, and the reality is the science is only catching up with it,” Geraldine O’Sullivan said in relation to emissions.

She said that there is still a lack of clarity on how recent soil samples need to be to be usable this year, “even though it’s getting past time to take samples”.

Sean Ryan, the new IFA potato committee chair, queried how the 6m buffer zones for root crops will operate.

Gilbert Smyth asked why imports of fuel and fertiliser are counted against the sector, but no credit is made for exports of food which are consumed abroad. It’s certainly a “flaw in the accounting system, but this is the system Ireland has signed up for and this is where we are”, replied O’Sullivan. “Carbon leakage will be our friend over time,” she predicted.

Liam O’Byrne from Wexford was critical of the slow progress of soil tests taken in the scheme introduced late last year. “I was lucky to get into scheme in October, my samples were taken in November. I have received no results yet in February, and may forge ahead without the results for the spring. It’s very disappointing.

O’Brien confirmed that the samples went to a lab in Wales, and said that the Welsh company had sub-contracted sampling collection.

“We need to build soil testing capacity in this country, and quickly,” he said.

Just one of many tasks that need to be moved on. Farmers need to minimise the exposure of the environment to farm nutrients, but they need help to do so.