Sir, – Thank you for the excellent article "Farmers who reduced fertiliser use harvesting benefits" (News, March 4th).
It is always good to read about someone with a can-do attitude who has taken a different road – and found a very good result. Good for the soil, less inputs. Good for the country, less imports. Good for the farmer, more control and hopefully a well-deserved more profit.
EU grants must surely target such circular systems, with a large dose of biodiversity payments too – and with much Government support and encouragement.
The article "Farming faces perfect storm amid war crisis" (News, March 24th) states there has been little progress so far on renewable biogas. This is a tried and tested system, with some excellent biogas plants round the country – but far too few. How about biogas production at sewage plants too, or incineration; there is an excellent example in London where the separated solid sewage is dried, then burnt, some heat to dry the next batch, some to generate electricity. Resultant ash is used in block manufacture, a lightweight, insulating building material. A greenhouse for cucumbers or tomatoes should have a biogas plant as part of it, using it's own vegetable arisings (let's forget the word waste), and taking in other suitable material too.
Biogas and solar panels seem to have the same problem; the technology is there, but not the will. How many council offices around the country have solar panels on any roofs (or rainwater harvesting)? Or government buildings? Lead by example! – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN BUTLER,
Palmerstown,
Dublin 20.