Proposals to Drop Shallow Cultivation on Tillage Farms Welcome

Commenting on the publication of the draft version of Ireland’s Sixth Nitrates Action Plan, IFA Grain Chair Kieran McEvoy said the proposals to remove the obligation for shallow cultivation will be welcomed by tillage farmers.

“Since 2022, the mandatory requirement to cultivate at least 75% of stubble ground left over winter has placed a burden of significant costs for fuel, labour and machinery. Small farmers without access to appropriate stubble cultivation equipment are particularly affected,” he said.

The proposals from the Nitrates Expert Group published back in the summer recommended an increase in the area required for cultivation which was concerning.

“Undoing the amendment exempting land destined for winter cropping from shallow cultivation would have been a retrograde step and one which would have caused a lot of confusion at farm level,” he added.

“IFA met with officials from the Nitrates and Biodiversity Division of DAFM to highlight the significant cost and safety issues that a further increase in cultivation would entail,” he said.

“Additionally, the proposals around restricting the timing of organic manures in the autumn period were totally impractical and could have caused a number of negative unintended consequences for tillage and livestock farmers.”

“Under its submission to the Nitrates Action Plan consultation process, IFA will be strongly advocating to remove shallow cultivation from any future legislation concerning Nitrates,” Kieran McEvoy said.

“Farmers will be relieved to see that officials have taken their concerns on board and that a common-sense approach has prevailed,” he concluded.