REPS Provides Double Dividend
The Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) is providing a double dividend by improving the natural environment and increasing the income of participating farmers. The REPS scheme, which was introduced more than a decade ago, has been a considerable success.
Speaking at the Teagasc National REPS conference in Tullamore, today, Friday 9 November 2007, Professor Gerry Boyle, director of Teagasc said: ”There has been a lot of emphasis on the contribution of the scheme to farm income and the rural economy, but it is the widespread engagement of the farming community with almost 60,000 participants, farming 50 per cent of the utilisable land area that marks its real success.”
The Teagasc Director welcomed the changes introduced in REPS4 which allow more intensive farmers to join the scheme, provided they have a nitrates derogation. He said; “This policy change is welcome. It widens the scope of REPS, since it can now cater for intensive farmers and the indications to date suggest a high level of interest in REPS4 from this sector.”
He continued; “The trend in fertiliser use is an important indicator of future pressures on water quality. The quantities of fertiliser being used in Ireland have been falling for some time and this has saved money for farmers and contributed tangible benefits to the environment. REPS is playing an important role in delivering this double dividend.”
Nitrogen sales have decreased by 22 per cent from a peak of 443,000 tonnes in 1998/99 to 345,000 tonnes in 2005/2006. Phosphorus sales fell by 42 per cent from a high of 64,573 tonnes in 1989/90 to 37,209 tonnes in 2005/2006. This represents a fall of 100,000 tonnes of Nitrogen and 27,000 tonnes of Phosphorous with an annual saving of more than €100 million or almost €1,000 per farm. There are clear gains for the environment in reduced N and P losses to water.
Professor Boyle said: “The National Farm Survey has over the years shown that REPS farms support stocking rates similar to their extensive non-REPS counterparts while spending significantly less on fertilisers. This saving on fertiliser can contribute €800 per annum to the income of the average size REPS farm.”
A new Teagasc research project, the mini-catchments programme, was also unveiled at the National REPS conference in Tuallmore today.The mini-catchments programme is a national project which will generate and disseminate knowledge to facilitate profitable farming in a clean environment. This research programme is central to the development of rural Ireland and will evaluate the effectiveness of the Nitrates and Water Framework Directives in the delivery of better water quality.
