Lakeland writes to Taoiseach over Nitrates Directive

Lakeland Dairies, the region’s largest diary processor, has written to the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, saying the government ‘faces a dilemma’ regarding investment to comply with the Nitrates Derogation. They warn it may even be necessary to ‘reconsider’ reduction targets unless a ‘meaningful and substantial’ level of funding is made available.

The letter was posted last Friday, September 13, just days before Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, along with Ministers of State Martin Heydon and Senator Pippa Hackett, welcomed a team from the EU’s Environment Directorate to Ireland.

Minister McConalogue had invited the delegation following last year’s visit to Ireland by the Environment Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius, in order to showcase work being done by farmers, supported by government and industry, to improve water quality.

Commission officials will also meet with the Agricultural Water Quality Working Group, farm representatives and other stakeholders to discuss Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme, with a specific focus on the Nitrates Derogation.

The derogation allows the application of a higher amount of livestock manure than that provided for in the Nitrates Regulations (where the limit is 170kg organic N/ha/annum) subject to certain conditions.

In the past 12 months, Lakeland Dairies has met with Taoiseach Simon Harris, Minister McConalogue, Minister Humphreys, Minister Ryan, Minister Burke and Minister Heydon, as well as all relevant TDs, Senators, MEPs and councillors on the importance of retaining the derogation.

In May, the company also hosted a farm event – ‘Farming for a Better Future: Protecting Our Waters’ where more than 250 people attended to learn about how farmers are playing a leadership role in protecting water quality.

The letter to the Taoiseach’s office was written on behalf of the 3,200 farm families supplying high-quality milk to the local processor. Whilst thanking the Taoiseach for meeting the group’s CEO, Colin Kelly, at the recent Tullamore Show, and also supportive of the engagement to date, Lakeland points out that the Government still ‘faces a dilemma’ regarding ‘meaningful and substantial’ investment to meet their ambitious derogation targets.

‘The current offerings are fragmented and insufficient to drive the necessary change. Without comprehensive, well-funded support, the targets will remain out of reach. It seems nonsensical to us that CAP funding could be used to support these endeavours,’ reads the letter.

It adds that, without proper funding and a clear joined-up approach, ‘it may be necessary to revisit and reconsider the carbon reduction targets themselves.’

Without ‘adequate backing’, Lakeland states there is a risk that targets may become ‘unattainable’.

‘Unattainable targets risk the entire project, via a loss in confidence and resolve to improve our environment.’

Path forward

Signed Niall Matthews, chairperson of Lakeland Dairies, the letter sets out a simple ‘path forward’.

‘Either commit to significant investment in support measures or reassess the feasibility of the targets,’ it says.

Without ‘decisive action’, Lakeland warns that a multi-billion-euro dairy industry, which supports ‘thousands of jobs in every rural parish in the country, is at risk of being slowly suffocated by unattainable expectations’.

It continues: ‘Farmers were the originators of the circular economy. Money that comes in through the farm gate is spent and invested locally. If you take away that dynamic, it will never be replaced’.

The letter concludes by saying: ‘We are just five years out from our 2030 targets and , hile huge and tangible effort has been made by all sectors in the economy, it is likely that based on current projections, no sector will hit its target. This would have serious implications and would be far from ideal’.

In a statement to The Anglo-Celt, Lakeland says it remains “fully committed” to retaining the Nitrates Derogation and has been “working with politicians and stakeholders to ensure the strong efforts being made by the co-operative’s farm families to protect and enhance water quality are well known”.

Speaking last Monday, on the first of a number of farms the officials will visit over the coming days, Minister McConalogue said: “This Government will seek a further Nitrates Derogation for Ireland. Scientifically, we have robust reasoning to justify this request with our unique grass-based system, long growing season and soil types. However, all stakeholders, Government, farmers and industry, are also acutely conscious that improving water quality across the country is a critical component of securing support for the continuation of the derogation from the Commission and other EU member states.”