Department Agrees to Establish Working Group to Find Nitrates Solutions – IFA

IFA Environment Chairman Pat Farrell has welcomed the decision by the Department of Agriculture to establish a working group to resolve the outstanding issues in the Nitrates regulations, following the recent publication by the Government of the new Nitrates Action Plan.

Speaking after a meeting with senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Pat Farrell said, “The continuation of the phosphorous provision for the pigs and poultry sectors is an important achievement by IFA. However the Department of Agriculture has decided that this provision will be phased out from 2013 and there is now a responsibility on the Department and Teagasc to immediately find workable solutions in advance of this deadline. IFA will ensure that a significant priority of this working group is to identify cost effective solutions.”

The Environment Chairman has also called on Teagasc to immediately commence research to provide flexibility for slurry spreading during the closed period, which would not impact on the farming during the open period. In addition he called on Teagasc to address the research deficit in the tillage sector by immediately commencing a research programme into the targeted usage of fertilisers, particularly phosphorous on winter sown arable crops.