Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has given his reaction to the Climate Change Advisory Council’s (CCAC’s) recommendation for a reduction of the national suckler herd, describing the matter as an “evolving picture”.
According to the council, in a report published yesterday, Wednesday, July 24, three measures were suggested for the Government to take to ensure a reduction in the Irish herd, ranging from a cull of 15% to 53%.
In a statement to AgriLand, the minister said:
“I am very firmly committed to delivering the very ambitious and challenging targets set out in the Government’s recently published Climate Action Plan.
It is an evolving picture, which will be monitored and will change over time, incorporating new mitigation tools that will help us to manage methane emissions while continuing to be ambitious for our agri-food industry.
“My department is currently developing an environmental sustainability roadmap for the agri-food sector to ensure that the future development of agriculture and the land-use sector, including forestry, will be built upon and contribute fairly to Ireland’s climate and energy targets.”
The minister added that his department is also working on the development of Ireland’s CAP strategic plan which, in line with the European Commission’s proposals, “will recognise that greater environmental and climate ambition is required”.
“Meanwhile, my department continues to review options that will enable our farmers to transition to a low-carbon economy.
“The Teagasc report ‘An Analysis of Abatement Potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030’ is key to informing the type of measures we need to ensure full delivery of our commitments under the all of Government plan,” Minister Creed said.
“I remain ambitious for the agri-food sector. We know farmers and processors are innovative and will work together to find solutions to these challenges.
“However, its development is about becoming better rather than bigger, focusing on adding value to every unit of production, increasing the output and value of every animal,” the minister concluded.
‘Necessary’
According to the council’s report, a reduction in the national herd “is necessary” to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions, while “potentially improving” farm incomes and making the agricultural sector less vulnerable to market volatility.
In addition, it outlines that a reduction in national bovine numbers would “significantly help” to combat localised environmental degradation – for example, reducing ammonia emissions and improving water quality and biodiversity, where negatively impacted by intensive production.
The report states: “A reduction in bovine numbers would be achieved gradually and potentially through extensification, restructuring, re-scaling and diversification within existing enterprises, or by some enterprises switching out of food production altogether, for example towards afforestation.”
Members of the council include: Prof. John FitzGerald (chair); Prof. Alan Barrett (ESRI); Prof. Gerry Boyle (Teagasc); Laura Burke (EPA); Jim Gannon (SEAI); and Prof. Alan Matthews, among a number of others.