THE right of farmers to be able to keep their lands in productive agricultural use has to be ‘the absolute priority’ over the coming years and decades, according to the farmer who hosted last week’s farm walk and open meeting on the potential impacts of the EU’s Nature Restoration Law [NRL].

Micheál Haverty’s farm near Clonberne was chosen specially for the event because of the peaty nature of the soils which over the years have been drained and carefully maintained to keep it in productive agricultural use.

The Galway IFA Livestock Representative told the Farming Tribune that while lands owned by Coillte and Bord na Móna could meet Ireland’s target up until around 2040, the situation after that, wasn’t clear.

Like a lot of farmers with similar type land, Micheál Haverty has genuine concerns over the potential impact of the new Nature Restoration Law which was passed by the European Parliament last February.

In that vote, 11 out of the 13 Irish MEPs voted in favour of the contentious law including those representing Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party and two Independents: the two MEPs who voted against the NRL were Luke Ming Flanagan [Independent] and Sinn Féin’s Chris McManus.

According to Micheál Haverty, there are serious concerns about the potential implications of the new law and its possible impact on farmers being able to continue to farm their lands.

“Verbal assurances on the voluntary involvement of farmers in nature restoration must be backed up by commitments clearly written into law.

“There are also concerns about the impact of rewetting if this happens on land that’s beside a farmer who wants to keep his lands sufficiently dry to be able to keep on farming.

“If a drain serving two parcels of land is blocked downstream, then this will clearly impact on the farmer who wants to keep his land in good agricultural use.

“There are real challenges here for farmers in the years ahead for those of us who have really worked hard and invested a lot of money in keeping our farms in good agricultural condition,” said Micheál Haverty.

National IFA President, Francie Gorman, also delivered a broadside against the two main Government parties who had ‘turned their backs on farmers by going into bed with the Greens’.

Pictured: Micheál Haverty, Clonberne, (with spade) and some of the attendance at the open meeting on his farm about the Nature Restoration Law. PHOTOS: JACINTA FAHY.