Lakeland host EIP event
Lakeland Dairies’ hosted an on-farm event last week aimed at promoting the €60m Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP), which looks to improve water quality at local, catchment and national levels.
The event took place on the farm of Sean and John Gilsenan in Moynalty, and was organised by Lakeland Dairies with support from Teagasc, Tirlán, Kepak, Dairy Industry Ireland and the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO).
Nearly 100 Lakeland Dairies farmers have to date applied for the EIP with an average payout of nearly €10,000 per farmer.
Farmers attending this latest promotion event travelled from Louth, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Kildare, Longford, Westmeath and also further afield.
Measures under the scheme are designed and implemented in collaboration with farmers and will be targeted specifically to address local challenges.
Launched back in March with the objective of involving 15,000 farmers in priority areas nationally, the Farming for Water project is the largest European Innovation Partnership (EIP) ever carried out in Ireland. It covers supports for solutions to enhance water quality including the provision of rainwater management plans, earthen bunds and tree planting.
The most popular items currently chosen by Lakeland Dairies suppliers included the bucket and brush yard cleaning apparatus, solar-powered water pumps, nutrient management plans, the planting of multi-species swards and hedgerows.Lakeland Dairies has chosen the Moynalty Catchment as a “Champion Catchment” to act as an example for farmers across the region to drive water quality improvements in their area.
Group Head of Sustainability with Lakeland, Rory Farrell, told those in attendance at the recent Meath farm event that the EIP can help build on strong efforts already taking place on farms.
“It was really heartening to see the huge crowd in attendance at our Farming for Water event,” he said. “There was a huge level of interest from farmers who are looking to invest in technologies and practices that will improve water quality on their farm. That is why the €60m EIP is a real game-changer as it is backing farmers’ ambitions with real actions.”
Over the course of the last year Mr Farrell explained that the dedicated Lakeland Dairies’ water quality team has carried out over 1,000 farm visits aimed at maintaining and improving water quality. “Between this and the EIP, it clearly shows that Lakeland Dairies and our farm families are playing a real leadership role in this space. We are driven by a single-minded determination to make further improvements in this space.”