BY TOMMY MOYLES
WEST Cork’s rivers are mainly categorised as good according to the EPA data but estuaries pose a challenge, according to the head of Teagasc’s Agricultural Catchments Programme.
Eddie Burgess was speaking at AIB’s recent ‘Planning for a Farming Future’ event in Fernhill House Hotel in Clonakilty.
‘Rivers in this part of the country are probably the highest of any part of the country and they’re in the most intensive grass-based dairy area. Unfortunately, nitrogen as an element doesn’t present a problem to water quality until you reach salty water. That leads to a situation where you have farmers managing land that are being called high water but there are nitrates causing water quality issues 20 miles downstream.’
Addressing an attentive audience, he added: ‘That can be hard to get your head around especially if you are managing your farm to the best of your ability to reduce the impact on water quality.’
Matching nutrient use to crop growth was one of the key area’s farmers should focus on as a way to mitigate against excess nutrients being lost from the soil and ending up in waterways. ‘The biggest thing we can do to improve nitrate loss in our estuaries is to time all the sources of nitrogen application to a time that matches crop growth to not have surplus leftover at a time when soils are wet and leaching,’ said Mr Burgess.
Fiona and Pat O'Driscoll, Coppeen and Pat Desmond, Kilmurry at the event in Clonakilty. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
Joe Hurley and Brian Horgan, Enniskeane and Ivor Tanner, Newcestown at the event in Clonakilty. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
He also expressed concern that a mid-term review of the current Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) which should have been completed by the end of 2023 was still not concluded 10 months later. This, he said, was commented on by a recent visit of officials from the European Commission.
Acknowledging how difficult it has been for farmers through 2023 and into much of this year, Shane McCarthy, AIB’s Agri advisor for Cork and Kerry said cash flow requests have been picking up in recent months.
He expects this to continue as the consequences of increased costs following difficult weather from the middle of last year through much of this year hit home. He advised farmers to engage early with their bank if there were any issues.
Despite the difficulties farmers are contending with, he said that investment on farms is still taking place albeit at a lower level compared to previously.
This was mainly due to price inflation for concrete and steel. Most on-farm requests for on-farm investments have focused on solar, Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) and labour-saving technology.
