Hundreds of farmers from Munster last night attended the first of a series of protest meetings, organised at Bandon Mart by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) over the proposed Nitrates Action Programme.
The association has claimed the Government has failed Irish farming with its strategy on implementing the Nitrates Directive Action Programme.
Ireland has been forced to submit a plan to reduce the usage of organic manure on Irish lands to 170kg/ha. Farm organisations claim this will severely hit Ireland's most productive farmers.
The Government had managed to resist implementing the EU nitrates directive since it was introduced in Brussels in 1992 to protect ground water quality.
However, following a conviction in the European courts, it has been forced to prepare a submission to Brussels based on limiting the use of fertiliser on land to 170kg/ha, even though it plans to seek a derogation to allow higher levels of nitrates to be used.
Farming organisations claim Irish land can absorb up to 250kg/ha without damaging land, and the restrictions on storage are too expensive.
IFA president Mr John Dillon told last night's meeting that the nitrate directive was the key European and local election issue for farmers. He said up to 14,000 of Ireland's most productive farmers would be put out of business because the new limits would undermine their competitiveness.
He also attacked Teagasc's role in preparing the draft directive, even though the agriculture and food development authority has said it had no role other than an advisory one in preparing the nitrates programme for the Department of the Environment.
Last week, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, called on all the parties involved to sit down and work out a sensible approach to the problem.
He said he was confident the EU Commission would allow a derogation above the 170kg/ha limit, but the court conviction had forced the Government to submit its draft action programme using that limit.