Mr. Niall Matthews:

There is probably a narrative out there that the nitrates derogation is being used by very large-scale dairy farmers who may be milking 300 or 400 cows. The reality is that 40% of derogation farmers over 220 kg N/ha are farming less than 40 ha of land. Taking a mid-point of a 30 ha farm, when they were farming at up to 250 kg N/ha, they could have carried 80 to 90 dairy cows which was a reasonably viable family farm unit. If that stocking rate was reduced to 170 kg N/ha, they would be looking at a maximum of 60 cows. At that stage that farm will become very borderline viable. If we want to encourage the next generation to consider taking up that farm, they will have to be allowed to farm at a level that will give them a viable living.