IFA President reacts to EPA water quality report

Following the release of the EPA’s report on water quality, IFA President Francie Gorman has assured people that Irish farmers are very focused on improving the quality of Irish waterways.  

“Only last week Teagasc’s launched a new campaign ‘Better Farming for Water’ and all farmers must play their part in this,” he said  

“Our water quality is in a relatively good position compared to other EU countries. However, there is a determined and robust approach across the whole sector to minimise the impact of food production on our waterways,” 

In addition to this he referred to the “unprecedented level” of uptake in investments and the adoption of new measures on farms. “For example, inorganic fertiliser usage on farms is down approximately 30% in two years,” he said.   

However, he also acknowledged that delays in the planning and grants approvals for the DAFM scheme have prevented some farmers from undertaking initiatives relating to slurry/ nutrient storage.  

“We must remove these roadblocks and ensure that farmers can move quickly to make capital investments,” he said.  

“It’s about the right measures in the right places at the right time and the right rate, to ensure that nutrients are taken up by grass and crops. We are determined to reduce nutrient loss to deliver better water quality.” 

“All the dairy co-ops are working closely with their farmer suppliers in making this central to everything. In fact, co-ops make part of the payment to farmers conditional on sustainability elements, including safeguarding our water quality,” said Mr. Gorman. 

He concluded his statement by reiterating the importance of the work being done by Irish farmers to ensure the improvement of waterways.  

“We cannot have any let up in our efforts. No more than our work to reduce emissions, this has to be sustained and results-driven,”