Farmers are “doing a lot” and “we have to ask farmers to do more” when it comes to agriculture and water, the chief inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) highlighted today (Wednesday, June 12).
But Bill Callanan told the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Conference 2024, taking place in Galway today, that there has been a recognition over the last 12 months among the farming community and industry of the “need to deliver in terms of water quality”.
According to Callanan there are now three key policy drivers “in moving the dial in terms of water quality” and he identified these as regulation, incentive and support.
“Ireland is unique in terms of its agricultural system across Europe and across many parts of the world nowadays,” he said.
“It’s very much pasture based, we’re give or take about 90% grassland about 6% or 7% arable and a there’s value in that grassland in terms of looking from a greenhouse gas (GHG) point of view, in terms of production of feed.
“For example, across Europe you’re looking at about 50% arable 50% grassland compared to here,” he said.
According to Callanan the relative level of intensity is not high, or the relative size and Ireland primarily has a family farm model based around pasture that is “postive” from a biodiversity point of view and in relation to landscape diversity and animal welfare.
Water quality
But he also told the EPA conference delegates today that while Ireland may be unique in terms of its production system, it is “not unique” in terms of the targets it needs to meet.
Callanan said this is particularly relevant in relation to targets set by the European Commission and encouraged everyone to “recognise” that.
He stressed that in the last couple of years there has been “huge engagement” on the issue of water quality in Ireland and that there needs to be a continued “collaborative” approach to address current challenges.
DAFM”s chief inspector detailed a number of the measures that have been introduced from a regulatory point of view and on-farm actions.
“We’ve had a significant line decline in chemical nitrogen and let’s call a spade a spade, that was initially driven by price but people have evolved in terms of their management practice to recognise that we can run systems with lower fertiliser.
“The herd number in total is, give or take, stable since about 2017 but within that we did have a growth in dairy numbers and a diminishment in suckler numbers .
“What we’re seeing now is that growth in dairy has effectively ceased and there is a continued decline in the suckler herd but the overall herd is slightly down currently,” Callanan detailed.
He also discussed the impact of dairy cow banding and how the current Nitrates Action Programme operates, the implications of the fertiliser database, slurry movement and soil sampling on water quality targets.
Derogation
Callanan also dealt with the ongoing debate over the nitrates derogation and water quality and said that in relation to derogation, DAFM was continuing to advise farmers where they stand on this and “where they fit in relation to the map”.
“It is better that farmers understand why they have to do a certain management practice and what impact it has on the water quality locally,” he continued.
“I’ve been engaging with the EPA looking at how their pressure maps can be converted into something that we might give farmers to give them a better understanding as a key priority,” he added.
He also highlighted to delegates today in Galway that the need to maintain the nitrates derogation is “a significant driver and an important element for dairy farmers” and also at national level because of the value of agriculture output.
“Agriculture is a huge part of the rural economy so it is important in that context. The European Commission’s clear guidance is that if water quality is less than good, the commission wants to see an improvement.
“I have cautioned people in terms of understanding that in terms of a derogation; these are not binary choices – would water quality be solved if you don’t have a derogation?
“I can assure you that this is not the case – I don’t believe that to be the case. It’s all about effective choices in terms of policy.
“For me there are two or three drivers on the importance of the derogation; yes it is important to Irish agriculture and in the absence of a derogation it consequently puts pressure on other land use ambitions that we do have – for example in terms of organics, increasing arable and forestry,” Callanan added.