Wicklow farm welcomes over 300 farmers for insightful water quality walk

Over 300 farmers were welcomed to the family farm of Donal Kavanagh in Carrigeen, near Baltinglass, recently for a Tirlán and Teagasc ‘Farming for the Future’ water quality walk and talk.

Part of Tirlán’s collaborative ‘Farming for Water: River Slaney’ project, which is working to improve water quality and assist Ireland in putting the best possible case forward for retention of the Nitrates Derogation, the event offered farmers action-focused advice and showed the significant efforts that farmers are undertaking to stabilise and improve water quality in their region.

Host farmer Donal, who runs his farm with his children and wife Fiona, highlighted steps taken on his farm to become more sustainable, including reducing the use of chemical nitrogen by 33 per cent since 2021 through the use of clover, which is a natural nitrogen fixer, in grass.

Attendees heard that a focus on nutrient use efficiency (NUE) on farms can deliver or maintain higher output at a lower cost, with Teagasc Director Dr Frank O’Mara highlighting that it is possible to farm at the current 220kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare (N/ha) and deliver good water quality.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Tirlán, Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LawPro).

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