Dr. Aine O'Connell:

It would be unfair of me not to mention that Teagasc was asked to model the impact of 250 kg to 220 kg on nitrogen loss. It was modelled that the nitrogen loss on a per hectare basis will be mitigated and would be 2.2 kg of nitrogen per hectare to a 1 m depth on a free-draining soil. That level of mitigation is very small when we consider that weather can have a variation of about 40 kg of nitrogen per hectare.

It is the order of magnitude of improvement which the reduction from 250 kg to 220 kg would bring versus the economic impact it would have on farms, whereby we have estimated that on a single farm alone, this would be anywhere between €6,500 and €18,000, let alone considering future debt, investments, borrowings and growth. It is important to realise that there are probably other measures out there which we have not finalised but that we are actively considering and thinking about which will probably bring about just as much or that magnitude of change of 2.2 which would not cost the sun, moon and stars and would not devastate farm families. It is very important we look at that. We should not be going after stocking rate when everything else has not been exhausted.