Irish dairy farmers face the prospect of having to reduce their herds in the next four months after the government said there was no chance of overturning an EU decision to apply tougher limits on nitrogen.
Farmers say 3,000 dairy producers will be affected, which could cost Ireland’s rural economy nearly €240mn, as producers would have to cull or sell cows or rush to lease more land to comply with the EU rules, just as milk prices are falling and land values are rising sharply.
Agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue told farmers on Thursday the EU would not budge from a stricter cap on the permitted levels of organic nitrogen on farms from the manure produced by their cows.
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