The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is launching a new guide for farmers to improve water quality in Co. Wexford.

The pilot initiative contains eight actions for change as part of the Teagasc Better Farming for Water programme.

The guide is divided under three headings: nutrient management, farmyard management and land management.

The document identifies actions to support farmers to achieve higher water quality.

The IFA said that farmers in Wexford are taking proactive steps to protect local water bodies by implementing practical on-farm measures.

These measure include improving nutrient management, fencing off watercourses, reducing runoff, and adopting targeted solutions like sediment traps and catch crops.

The association said that these actions are already making a positive impact, with improvements in water quality recorded across the county.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 44% of rivers in Wexford have high or good ecological status, while 31% have moderate ecological status with overall water quality in rivers improving.

It is reported by the EPA that nitrates is an issue in 42% of river sites in the county, largely due to diffuse runoff from fertilised grasslands and tillage.

Phosphorus is high in 28% of river sites, typically linked to inadequate fencing, which allows livestock direct access to streams

The River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) has identified eight 'priority areas for action' in Wexford (Sow, Wexford Coastal Lagoons, Owenavorragh, Urrin, Wexford Harbour, Blackwater, Bannow and Waterford Harbour).

Wexford IFA will hold a tillage event on the farm of William and Craig Masterson in Bunclody (Y21 CK76) this evening (Wednesday, July 2), at which the new water quality guide will be launched.

The event will also discuss grain markets, the future of the sector and the potential for solar on tillage farms.

IFA Environment Chair John Murphy said the Better Farming for Water programme and the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) are helping farmers to go beyond regulatory requirements to protect and restore water bodies.

“The latter project is open to all farmers with land in priority action areas (PAAs) where targeted water quality improvements are needed,” he said.