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Irish livestock farmer in the same boat as the Dutch one
Irish dairy farmers may have fewer problems with licensing than their Dutch colleagues. Advocacy is also less divided. For the rest, they are largely in the same boat: the milk price is low, the costs are high and they also have major problems with derogation and manure disposal.
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For the moment, Irish dairy farmers are having the most problems with the tightened derogation standards - from 250 kilos to 220 kilos of nitrogen per hectare.
Sinkevicius keeps his foot stiff
Various Irish politicians had given them hope that this tightening would no longer apply before 2023, but European Environment Commissioner Virginius Sinkevicius - also no stranger to the Netherlands - rudely disabused them last week during a visit to Ireland. There will be no delay and if farmers end up with a large manure surplus, they will have to export manure, said the Lithuanian Environment Commissioner.
Export manure
According to dairy farm foreman Stephen Arthur, that is not an option at all. Exporting manure is extremely expensive and then the question is where the manure should go. Most Irish dairy farmers agree with him that the Irish government and politics have left them in the dark for too long. Moreover, it bothers them that - just like in the Netherlands - they are still not given permission to use fertilizer substitutes. Then the manure surplus would also be eliminated, but Sinkevicius does not want that.
The manure disposal problem will be particularly difficult for smaller and medium-sized dairy farmers, it is estimated in Ireland. This concerns farms with up to sixty dairy cows. It is doubtful whether this group will survive the combination of high manure disposal costs, expensive feed and other farm supplies and a low milk price.
Low milk price
The Irish milk price has been quite low in recent months. Not all companies continue to milk during the winter, but those that milk all year round see themselves poorly rewarded for their efforts. In July the milk price averaged 35,9 cents per liter. In August it fell to 35,2 cents and in September to 34,4 cents. In October there was some additional milk price and the milk price rose to 36,1 cents, Irish agricultural magazines report.
An indication of returns in Irish dairy farming is the Ornua Purchase Price Index (PPI).
Dairy farmers are satisfied that the milk price is rising again, but they are not happy with the milk price level. The Irish milk price is one of the lowest in the Netherlands, livestock farmers complain. Moreover, according to them, the processors only pass on part of the increased margin to them. This causes extra irritation with all other problems.