Latest news with #ASSAP
Agriland
10-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon engages with ICOS on future of Irish dairy sector
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has met with the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) to discuss the future of the Irish dairy sector. Minister Heydon met with ICOS in NAAS on Friday (May 9) where a broad range of critical issues impacting the Irish co-operative dairy industry were discussed. The meeting also brought together the wider group of chairs of all ICOS dairy co-operative members, demonstrating a united front on the sector's shared priorities. ICOS dairy committee chairperson, Niall Matthews and ICOS president, Edward Carr expressed appreciation for the ministers engagement with co-operatives across Ireland. Matthews said: 'We are grateful to Minister Heydon for taking the time to meet with us and for his willingness to listen and engage on the key issues affecting our members. 'Since the end of milk quotas, the Irish dairy sector has played a vital role in our national and rural economy, underpinned by our co-operative model, grass-based production and family-farm structure.' 'These core strengths must guide us as we face today's environmental, economic and generational challenges,' he added. ICOS Matthews highlighted the dairy sector's commitment to 'environmental stewardship', citing increased co-op funding of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), and the roll-out of the 'Farming for Water' European Innovation Partnership (EIP). He also welcomed the government's commitment to retaining Ireland's nitrates derogation, which he said allows for more intensive grass-based dairy production under strict conditions. 'Collectively, we must continue the most assertive levels of representation to convey to the EU Commission all that is being achieved by farming communities in relation to the sustainability and environmental priorities,' Matthews said. The meeting also focused on the pressing need for generational renewal within the farming community. Matthews believes that farming is a deeply rewarding career, but the increasing average age of farmers highlights the need for 'urgent action'. He said: 'We must support younger farmers through incentives and tax reforms, while also providing dignified pathways for older farmers including a retirement scheme.'
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
WaterMARKE project report identifies drivers and barriers for farmers to protect water quality
Know-how and farmer norms are among the most important drivers of behaviour change in addressing Ireland's water quality challenges, according to the latest WaterMARKE project report. The WaterMARKE project was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) and involved economic, psychology, and scientific researchers from Teagasc and the University of Galway. Researchers in the project have investigated how the use of research and knowledge exchange can achieve greater uptake of farm-level water quality mitigation measures to secure an improvement in water quality that the Water Framework Directive requires. Agricultural activities can impact water quality when nutrients, sediments, and pesticides enter waterways. Nutrients like nitrogen can leach through light soils into groundwater, while phosphorus and sediment can be lost through overland flow on heavy soils. For mitigation, mechanisms of nutrient and sediment loss into water are complex and site-specific, making them difficult to prevent. Noel Meehan, Head of Teagasc Water Quality Knowledge Transfer Department, said: 'WaterMARKE identified behavioural drivers and barriers for farmers in adopting water quality protection actions… The research shows that advisors also need training and upskilling in the provision of water quality advice, something that the Better Farming for Water Campaign is working to achieve with both Teagasc and private advisors.' Mr Meehan added that the project's findings can be utilised to develop policies and supports for both farmers and advisors. These developments can keep behavioural drivers in mind to ensure the use of appropriate farming practices and mitigation actions that can lead to work towards positive water quality outcomes. Overall, the WaterMARKE project concluded with nine key findings. Firstly, there is a need for more local data and understanding. Improving local environmental issues requires localised activity data and an understanding of nutrient loss pathways. The research highlighted the growth in collaborations across all the 'actors' who can influence water quality, citing LAWPRO, local farmers and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) tackling bathing water quality issues at Lough Ennell, Co Westmeath. WaterMARKE also found that although farmers are generally motivated to improve water quality, they need support in terms of knowledge and resources. Key drivers of behaviour change include the role of advisors in raising awareness and the importance of localised support. Farmers and advisors face knowledge, technical challenges, and administrative burdens that carry compliance and psychological costs. Farmers with strong behavioural drivers to adopt specific measures are those who are aware of the measures that need to be taken, believe they can undertake it, and live in areas where others have implemented the measure. Other factors that lead to greater adoption include large farm size, previous participation in agri-environmental schemes, having a point source pollution issue, engagement with advisors, and agricultural education. Farmers are more accepting of measures that incur less cost and have a more immediate, visible effect, such as drainage ditch remediation. The cost of implementing measures is often a negative driver. Measures with high implementation or transaction costs need to be differentially incentivised. Spatial modelling highlights variation in place and farm-specific implementation costs, which must be considered when assessing appropriate measures for individual farms. Farms with high opportunity costs for loss of land/productivity may be less likely to engage with mitigation measures. Read More National push to protect rivers and secure nitrates derogation
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Community information meeting on Wicklow water quality announced
Under the Water Action Plan 2024 – A River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, LAWPRO carries out work in areas identified as having poor water quality called priority areas for action (PAAs) to support targeted water quality improvements by state bodies and local authorities. Since 2018 LAWPRO has been working in PAAs in Wicklow and the information evening will involve discussions on the work commencing first in Kilcoole, Newcastle and Newtowmountkennedy PAA this summer. Ahead of the community information meeting, Basil Mannion, senior community water officer with LAWPRO said: 'As we are coming to the end of second cycle work and expanding our third cycle plans for further work in the area under the Water Action Plan, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome members of the public to come along and find out more about what's happening in their local waterbodies. 'We hope to engage as many people as possible at the two meetings as public participation is key to helping make water quality improvements. We would also like to thank all those whether in a voluntary or paid capacity who work in their local areas and help to make a difference to their natural waters and the biodiversity that lives in and around them.' The information meeting takes place at the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy, from 7.30pm on Thursday, May 6. The meeting is being held to increase awareness about water quality work in the area and to encourage as much engagement as possible with all stakeholders right across the community including key agencies, special interest groups, voluntary, public and private sectors. LAWPRO catchment scientists will take you through the work that has been carried out and what is being planned under the third cycle Water Action Plan 2024. There will also be opportunities for the public to ask questions and talk to members of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) programme and the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project.
Agriland
29-04-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Report: Local solutions, info and incentives crucial for water quality
Mitigating the impact of agriculture on water quality requires developing local solutions, information and incentives, according to a new report. The WaterMARKE project investigated how the use of research and knowledge exchange can achieve greater uptake of farm level water quality measures. The research was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The project involved economic, psychology and scientific researchers from Teagasc and the University of Galway. Water quality According to the report, the primary pressures on water quality in Ireland from agriculture are nutrient, sediment and pesticide losses to water. Nutrients such as nitrogen (N) can leach downwards through light soils to groundwater, while phosphorus and sediment can be lost through overland flow on heavy/peat soils. The report noted that while the biological mechanisms of loss are 'complex and site specific', farm mitigation measures may be less technologically complex but could involve new practices. The researchers used a 'systems approach' which included analysing incentives that influence farm practices that have an impact on water quality. They also carried out an economic analyses of the factors impacting adoption of water quality mitigation measures by farmers, and social and behavioural psychology studies to identify pro-environmental behavioural interventions. The report found that mitigating the impact of agriculture on water quality requires the following: Developing local solutions and information and incentives; Taking an innovation system approach to the problem solution; Changing the behaviour of farmers, which may involve changing the behaviour of others upstream within the innovation system, requiring an examination of their incentives and motivations; Providing local information to facilitate local decisions. Dr Mary Ryan, WaterMARKE project coordinator, said the researchers working closely with the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) to investigate how farmers and advisors engage with water quality improvement measures. She highlighted the 'considerable growth in collaboration and innovation' across all agencies, communities and farmers in actively engaging in water quality improvement. Dr Ryan said that this is exemplified by the level of participation in initiatives such as the Farming for Water European Innovation Programme (EIP). Research The WaterMARKE project found that improving local environmental issues requires localised activity data and an understanding of nutrient loss pathways. This involves local information from programs like the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) and the EPA Catchments Unit. This data combined with research and knowledge exchange would help implement the 'right measure, right place, right time' approach. While farmers are generally motivated to improve water quality, the researchers noted that they need support in terms of knowledge and resources. The report found that farmers and advisors face knowledge and technical challenges, as well as administrative burdens. Interviews showed that advisors require enhanced supports to 'prioritise pro-environmental water quality advice'. Farmers with a strong drive to adopt specific measures believe they have the capacity to undertake it, believe others would approve, and live in areas where others have implemented the measure. Other factors that lead to greater adoption include large farm size, previous participation in agri-environmental schemes, having a point source pollution issue, engagement with advisors, and agricultural education. The report also found that farmers are more accepting of measures that incur less cost and have a more immediate visible effect, such as drainage ditch remediation. The researchers noted that measures with high implementation or transaction costs need to be 'differentially incentivised', such as the Farming for Water EIP. Barriers Noel Meehan, head of Teagasc Water Quality Knowledge Transfer Department said that the research identified behavioural drivers and barriers for farmers in adopting water quality protection actions. 'The project also identified obstacles encountered by advisory services in providing advice and support to farmers in adopting these measures. 'The research shows that advisors also need training and upskilling in the provision of water quality advice, something that the Better Farming for Water Campaign is working to achieve with both Teagasc and private advisors,' he said. Meehan added that findings can now be used to develop policies and supports for both farmers and advisors. Professor Cathal O'Donoghue from the University of Galway, stressed the importance of adopting 'system-wide' efforts in fostering meaningful change. He also noted that 'all the actors' across government departments, researchers, cooperatives, advisors, farmers and farming organisations need to continue to 'think differently'.
Agriland
24-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
‘All things came together' for Carbery Group in 2024
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Carbery Group, Jason Hawkins, has described 2024 has a year in which 'all things came together' for the business, following the release of its annual results. Carbery recorded what it called a 'strong financial performance' for 2024, with operating profit up approximately 20%, in yesterday's (Wednesday, April 23) announcement. Group turnover also increased for the year ended December 31, Carbery said. Revenue increased by 8% to €668 million, while group EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) increased by 12% to €52 million. Speaking to Agriland after the announcement, Hawkins said: 'It really is a year where probably all things came together in terms of all parts of the business performing well. 'Dairy markets improved in 2024 from 2023 so that helped on the revenue line, and obviously supported milk prices,' he said. Hawkins added: 'On the other side of the house, from a nutrition perspective, we're very focused on whey protein, both from a pricing perspective as well as a demand perspective. The protein demand is very strong so the whey, the nutrition side of the business, performed well. 'Across our taste platform, which has operations in the US, in Brazil, in Asia, and in Europe, all of those businesses performed well. 'The balance sheet is in a very healthy position, and also the fact that the board decided to allocate €8.6 million into the Stability Fund, really allows us from all those angles, particularly in times like we're living in – there's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of challenges potentially out there – we're well situated to handle a lot of issues that might come at us,' the Carbery CEO commented. He said that the Carbery business leadership is 'not arrogant, we're not getting ahead of ourselves, but certainly we're starting in a good position right now'. Carbery's milk pool is based in west Co. Cork, one of the areas of the country where there is a considerable focus on water quality and the nitrates derogation. 'On the derogation side, about 65% of our farmers are in derogation, so it is an issue for us here, and from a business perspective, probably more importantly from a farmer shareholder perspective, a lot of progress has been made,' Hawkins said. 'Going back to the launch of ASSAP (Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme) and other programmes…every one of our suppliers now has gone through the water assessment with the advisors,' he added. 'We're now taking actions and I think you are starting to see that come through on the most recent EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) report as well. 'Both in Carbery and the industry, we've been at it for years, but I think we really upped our game in 2024. You're starting to see those actions pay off now. And I think you'll continue to see them pay off in 2025 and beyond.' Although Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) said this week that milk supply across the the sector during this peak season is set to be very considerable, Hawkins does not envisage that the level of milk production will cause any capacity challenges for Carbery. 'I would say we're trending towards maybe slightly behind 2021 levels – now it's week-to-week. It's very strong at the moment. Obviously we didn't have any capacity issues in 2021, so no, I think we're confident that we can handle the milk that's going to come at us in 2025,' he said. On milk price, the Carbery CEO expressed confidence, despite the business reducing its price to suppliers for the first time in 2025 last week, for March milk supplies. 'I think markets have been fairly stable, at a decent enough level if you look at things like the Ornua PPI (Purchase Price Index) and you look at future markets and so on,' Hawkins said. 'Obviously there's been a small gap, we adjusted our own price recently. There's a small gap that does exist between where we're paying and where the market returns are, but I think that's small in the grand scheme of things,' he added. According to Hawkins, the 'outlook would be, at the moment, that milk price in 2025 will be an improvement on 2024'.
