A decrease in the nitrates derogation could have an impact on farmers in Tipperary.
The European Commission are in line to reduce the current derogation from 250kg nitrates per hectare down to 220kg from January 1st.
This would mean farmers operating above 220kg would need to reduce their herd size or increase their amount of land to meet requirements.
Barry Murphy, News Correspondent with the Irish farmers Journal says 3,200 farmers in the country could be effected by the change:
“There’s changes coming down the tracks.
“It’s looking like from the 1st of January next year, the Commission will make a final decision on it in September, but it will bring that level from 250 down to 220 units of Nitrpogen per hectare.
“It’ll be a move that will impact about 3,200 farmers across the country and you’re talking in the region of 50,000 cows.
“It’s not just dairy farmers, that’s important to say, beef farmers here as well, just in the region of maybe 700 to 800 beef farmers impacted within that 3,200 figure.
“A lot of county Tipperary will be hit.”
