TUV criticises NI Water’s 'hypocrisy'
TUV agricultural spokesman Cllr Allister Kyle has acused NI Water of hypocrisy after it recently warned farmers over the dangers of runoff from slurry spreading.
Causeway Councillor and TUV chairman Allister Kyle said: “As Northern Ireland farmers face the looming slurry spreading ban coming in next week, Wednesday 15th October, many farmers are rightly questioning the logic and the fairness of the system that governs our land and waterways.
“At the same time as farmers are being warned not to spread slurry to grow crops which end up feeding us, NI Water continues to discharge raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters across the country. The hypocrisy is staggering.
“Since the end of August, locally there have been hardly two dry days in a row. Fields have remained saturated, making slurry spreading not just difficult but impossible in many areas.
“Agricultural contractors, who are already under enormous pressure, are now facing a race against time trying to get slurry out before the legal cutoff, all while working between rain showers.
“Everyone agrees that slurry should only be spread when conditions are right, when the ground is dry enough to absorb it, preventing runoff and making sure the nutrients go where they’re needed. Ironically, the weather forecast is now showing settled conditions after the ban comes into force. That means farmers could be missing the best chance to apply slurry safely and effectively,” added Councillor Kyle.
“The race towards the deadline is happening while NI Water, a public body, continues to release untreated sewage into waterways during heavy rainfall. These overflows pollute the same rivers and loughs that farmers are being blamed for impacting. Yet there’s no ban on that. No looming deadline. No “closed period” for polluting the environment with human waste.
“Farmers are being made scapegoats while trying to manage slurry responsibly in impossible weather conditions. They are told to follow rigid calendar-based rules, regardless of whether those rules actually make environmental or practical sense. DEARA need to realise in a country with such changeable weather conditions you cannot farm via a calendar.
“It’s time for some honesty and fairness in how we manage water quality in Northern Ireland. That starts with all stakeholders taking their level of responsibility and taking steps to address it, not just piling the blame on one stakeholder but also holding those to account who include publicly funded bodies.“