Certified Irish Angus host Farming for Water field evening

Local farmers, community and members of industry were informed of the funding available to improve water quality on farms under the €60 million EIP. Certified Irish Angus hosted the event which took place on 25^th June 2025 at the farm of Ruairi Lynch in Moynalty, Co. Meath in conjunction with their partners ABP Food Group and Kepak.

Farming for Water Initiative

The Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership project (EIP) is providing funding of €60 million to farmers to help improve water quality so that natural environments and biodiversity are enhanced while also supporting climate change mitigation efforts.

Certified Irish Angus held the event on the Lynch family’s farm due to it’s location along the banks of the Borora river on the Cavan and Meath border. Teagasc and the Local Authority Waters Programme have highlighted this catchment as a key area of focus as its current Moderate status demonstrates that the river is experiencing slight levels of pollution.

Mark McCoy, Agri Programmes Coordinator with Certified Irish Angus opened the event and gave an overview of the dairy beef enterprise on the farm. He also demonstrated how soil type affects the level of nitrate and phosphate leaching that occurs on farm.

Kepak Group sustainability officer, Luke McDermott highlighted the measures which had been implemented on farm including a pasture pump and solar powered fencer to eliminate livestock access to the river. He outlined the funding available for 43 measures to farmers in a priority area for action under the EIP. The fencing of riparian buffer zones and tree planting along the river were also completed on the farm.

Oisin Lynch and Jenny Cumiskey of ABP Food Group discussed the measures being completed on the ABP Demo Farm. These included actions such as sediment traps and willow beds to prevent farmyard run off entering the waterways. Oisin Lynch also gave detail of the ABP’s sustainability scheme, the Advantage Beef Programme and how their services such as soil sampling and slurry testing can boost farmers efforts to improve water quality.

Barbara Olwill, Catchment Scientist with LAWPRO completed a kick sample of the Borora river to show attendants how water quality is measured and the key indicators.

Fiona Doolan, Catchment Coordinator with Teagasc explained the purposes of buffer zones and how everyday tasks on farm can be altered to prevent sediment and nutrient run-off.

The event concluded with a barbecue of Certified Irish Angus beef.