ASSAP and Water Quality Overview

Tirlan & ASSAP

Tirlan has committed 5 Agricultural Sustainability Support Advisory Programme (ASSAP) advisors along with 4 Slaney Project Advisors

Both ASSAP and Slaney Advisors are providing practical advice day to day with suppliers to enhance there on farm sustainability practices. The aim from the entire ASSAP programme is to improve water quality throughout Ireland. In 2023, 795 ASSAP visits were completed as part of our Living Proof Plan. This new collaboration between dairy coops and family farms is based on local water quality within their area. Some areas are classed as Priority Areas for Action (PAA’s) where these catchments have been selected because they are not meeting their water quality targets and are at risk of further decline. When a Tirlan ASSAP visit is conducted, advice is provided on areas including land management, nutrient management and farmyard management. During an ASSAP visit, pollution impact potential maps (PIP maps) are provided to the farmer to identify key areas of their farm that is more susceptible to loosing valuable nutrients i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus. Frequent water quality testing is conducted by the local authorities water programme (LAWPRO) where they can identify catchments of poorer water quality. This unique collaboration helps ASSAP advisors visit higher risk catchment areas based on data. LAWPRO test for nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and also the biological status of the rivers, which then allows them to grade the river i.e., Good, Moderate or Poor. If an agricultural pressure is identified during testing, a written referral is sent out to the local ASSAP advisor. When an ASSAP visit is conducted the correct agricultural mitigation measures are advised to address the issue concerned with the river. The ASSAP programme is a free confidential advisory service, which has 20 Teagasc ASSAP advisors and 42 Dairy Coop advisors. Tirlán recognises the importance of water quality and has committed to having water quality remediation plans in place to all our family farms in Priority Area’s of Action by 2025.

Water EIP

The new EIP (European Innovation Partnership) for Agricultural projects are locally led projects which are collaborative in nature, tackling issues affecting natural resources, such as water, in an innovative way. €60 million has been allocated towards the new water EIP. This €60 million project hopes to bring about improvements in water quality with co-benefits for climate change and biodiversity. This can be achieved through the adoption of innovative practices in nutrient management, the application of nature-based Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) and other measures at farm level following the principles of Integrated Catchment Management. Participating in the water quality EIP is a sustainable action in Tirlán’s Sustainability Action Payment. Measures will be designed and implemented, in collaboration with farmers, and will be targeted specifically to address local challenges. It is important to note that losses of phosphate as small as <0.5kg/ha/yr are sufficient to impact on the health of a river system so the task is not easy but with spatially targeted, well-designed mitigation measures the loads of N, P and sediment can be significantly reduced. 

The Water EIP is designed to implement specific measures aimed at minimizing the loss of nutrients, sediment, and pesticides from agricultural areas, effectively disrupting their flow & pathways into water bodies. Scheduled from 2023 to 2028, the initiative will concentrate on regions requiring urgent intervention to protect  water quality. Maintaining high water quality offers numerous advantages, such as ensuring clean drinking water, supporting livestock, enhancing tourism, recreation, and various industries. It also plays a vital role in preserving wildlife habitats and is essential for fostering local economies and promoting community well-being.

Donal Kavanaghs Open Day

On the 21^st of June a Tirlan Water Quality event was held on Donal Kavanaghs farm in Baltinglass in Co. Wicklow. A great response was seen across the board with over 300 farmers in attendance with much interest and initiative to retain the nitrates derogation. This open day event highlighted important aspects of around what is being done around water quality within Tirlan along with other organisations such as Teagasc, LAWPRO etc. Key topics were addressed including actions to support good water quality, programmes supporting good water quality like ASSAP and the new Water EIP, and the retention of the nitrates derogation and what’s next. The day gave farmers a grasp of what actions can be taken to make a real difference to our local water quality.

EPA Water Quality Report 2024

Key findings were published on the EPA Water Quality Report in 2023 where the main key message was that negative trends are beginning to stabilize which is positive for the retention for the nitrates derogation. In Europe, Irelands is deemed to have good water quality however over recent years this trend has began to see a downward trend. In the latest EPA report, the key messages were that water quality in Ireland is stable with no improvement or disempowerment. Additionally, river annual nitrate concentrations within the South-East regions has reduced slightly. Results have been seen from both the ASSAP programme and the Slaney Advisory Programme within Priority Area’s of Action as water quality trends have slightly improved within areas of work being carried out in these programmes.

Figure 1: These graphs represent the changes in Nitrogen Concentrations within the South East and Midlands and Eastern Regions between 2010 - 2023

Sustainability Action Payment

Tirlán has committed to assist our dairy suppliers in reducing the carbon footprint, enhancing water quality and improving air quality and soil health of farms in line with our sustainability strategy, Living Proof. ASSAP water quality planning and participation in the ‘Farming For Water’ EIP are just two of the measures in the Sustainability Action Payment aimed at improving water quality.

Contact:

Farm Sustainability Advisor

Aidan O’Donovan

Contact: 086 1279119

First Published 30 July 2024