Vol. 482 No. 8
22 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, his Department has to ensure rural water quality by ensuring efficient use of organic and chemical fertilisers; the assistance, if any, he will provide to the IFA who recently launched a campaign on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19460/97]
My Department through the rural environment protection scheme has a major role to play in the promotion of nutrient management planning. The REP scheme aims to establish farming practices and controlled production methods which reflect the increasing concern for the environment. One of its more important measures is the requirement to prepare a waste management, liming and fertilisation plan for the farm. This measure is designed to protect and improve the quality of our water resources by minimising nutrient losses from agriculture.
A code of good practice to protect waters from pollution by nitrates was published jointly in July 1996 by my Department and the Department of the Environment and Local Government. This code prescribes methods to prevent or minimise the pollution of waters from nitrates by adopting certain farm waste and nutrient management techniques in the storage of organic wastes, silage, dungstead and farmyard manure and soiled water.
I welcome and support the current campaign by IFA and other bodies to promote nutrient management planning on farms. I am happy that Teagasc was able to assist in drawing up a promotion leaflet on the subject. I also welcome the advisory campaign being run by Teagasc aimed at educating farmers on the importance of determining, through soil testing, the appropriate fertiliser needs of their farms.
