Published:
-
-
Author: Our Reporter
~ 3 minutes read
Dairy farming is at the heart of Irish life – products produced by 17,500 family farms (and the 60,000 people they employ) are exported to 130 countries, and contribute some €6.8 billion to the Irish economy each year. The industry is not, however, without its challenges.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies agriculture as a major contributor to a reduction in the quality of around half of Ireland’s rivers, lakes and estuaries.
Across Ireland farmers are employing innovative technologies and practices that are designed to reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint, both in terms of water quality impacts and GHG emissions. The goals are challenging, but the industry is changing to address them.
Water quality is key. Sediment traps are placed at the bottom of sloping farmyards to catch rain and wastewater and trees like willow and alder soak up any nutrients that might run off the concrete.
A pilot project run in conjunction with Waterford County Council has seen farmers build reed bed filtration systems to deal with farmyard run off water, taking out the nitrates, potassium, and phosphorus.
The ACRES scheme (the Irish government’s Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme) increases biodiversity efforts, seeing farmers committed to putting in hedging along water courses, as well as planting trees like willow, and creating ponds.
The Teagasc (the Irish agriculture and food development authority) Agricultural Catchments programme focuses on water quality monitoring to better understand agriculture’s impacts on water quality.
What the work shows is that agriculture’s impact on our waterways is affected by other factors – soil type and the weather – beyond use of fertiliser and amount of cows.
A drought – like that in 2018 – can have a massive impact on nutrients entering the water system.
A lot of the work of the ACP is working with farmers, sharing knowledge and making recommendations such as nutrient (fertiliser) plans, best practice in pesticide use, hedgerow and field border management and overall pasture management.
Miriam Gunne, a National Dairy Council Farmer Ambassador farming in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, wants people to know more about what farmers are doing to contribute to Ireland’s national climate goals.
“We understand our obligation to the environment and as a community we are adopting new technologies and practices to reduce our impact and meet the challenge we’ve been set.
“The truth is that Irish farmers are genuinely interested in this – the good and the bad – and they want to know how they can improve and how they can further reduce their environmental impact.”
https://ndc.ie/sustainability/farmer-ambassador-programme/
SPONSORED CONTENT
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune:
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
More like this:
Senator calls for immediate action from Minister on Renewable Energy
Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers has called for immediate action to harness the potential of Ire...
Galway County Council confirms that work has commenced on Headford Transport and Community Plan
Galway County Council have confirmed to Councillor Mary Hoade that Systra has now commenced work ...
Councillor welcomes news on refurbishment of Loughrea Town Hall
The announcement that contract documents have gone up on e-tenders for the refurbishment of Lough...
10 month old Galway Baby is honoured at 2024 Water Babies Little Heroes Awards
A baby from Galway has been honoured at the 2024 Water Babies Little Heroes Awards Sorcha-Rós Nic...
New research shows alarming e-waste disposal trends in Galway
Research revealed this weekend shows that one in eight people continues to dump small electrical ...
Sailor rescued from capsized boat
A sailor clinging to the upturned hull of his sailing boat in Clifden Bay had to be rescued by th...
Croí highlights need for national cardiac strategy
Croí, the Galway-based heart and stroke charity, has called for the urgent implementation of a ne...
Galway student in a class of her own at SciFest!
A Galway student has taken home the top prize at SciFest@TUS Athlone, one of Ireland’s largest re...
Updated Traffic Information For Connacht Senior Football Final
Gardai have issued an updated traffic plan ahead of this afternoon’s Connacht Senior Footba...