It appears to be a challenging year for farmers as new measures continue to be instituted in the farming sector to curb the impact of rising costs. With this comes various commitments proposed by government in reassuring farmers that they are addressing concerns and seeking alternative methods to “soften” the impact thereof. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has since raised its voice regarding the latest series of measures included in Ireland’s fifth Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) 2022-2025.
The IFA says that government should ensure that farmers are supported either through grant aid or Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) schemes to meet the greater environmental standards, as some of the measure included have financial implications.
According to IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Committee chair, Paul O’Brien “some of the measures will have an immediate effect on farm businesses in 2022. For others, farmers need to be start to planning for this year.”
He says that it was very disappointing that the DAFM had introduced the measure to reduce total nitrogen (N) to 2.4kg/N (from 5kg/N) without consultation. It’s understood that this will have an impact on farmers who export slurry. The IFA has confirmed that they had asked the department to introduce any changes collectively following the review of the technical tables, to minimise disruption and allow farmers time to prepare.
LSL News.