The Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group has identified nine measures that could “reduce greenhouse gas emissions” in its final report which was published today (Wednesday, November 30).
These include reducing slaughter age, reducing nitrous oxide emissions and adopting new breeding practices. However, it has warned that “significant financial support” will be needed to support farmers.
The group has delivered its 86 page report to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, which outlines nine direct measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a further 12 “enabling measures” to incentivise farmers to adopt these measures.
Among the direct measures is a proposal to reduce the age of slaughter by between 2.7 and 3.9 months and reduce age at first calving of suckler beef cows by between 2 – 3.8 months.
The report also contains proposals to reduce chemical nitrogen use in the beef sector by 27%-30% on average by 2030.
The chair of the group, Prof. Thia Hennessy, acknowledged that it had been a “difficult process” for all the members involved in the group.
She said at the heart of the process was a “common goal of identifying measures which can reduce emissions from the beef sector while also protecting the viability of more than 80,000 farm families engaged in beef production in Ireland”.
In the final report the members said that it was “accepted” that there was a need to significantly “step up the implementation of new and existing measures” to meet the 2030 targets for emissions reductions.
Among the measures that have been put forward to achieve these targets include a voluntary diversification scheme and a voluntary extensification scheme – both of which would result in a removal or reduction in the number of suckler cows and the “development of non-breeding beef or sheep enterprises or other farm enterprises”.
The cost of the voluntary diversification scheme, which would result in the removal of suckler cows, is estimated by the group to be in the region €1,080/suckler cow for farms exiting.
While the cost of the voluntary extensification scheme, which would lead to a reduction in the number of suckler cows, would be in the region of €1,350/sucker cow removed.
Food Vision group’s 9 direct measures
In total, the nine direct measures outlined in the final Food Vision Beef and Sheep report could add up to an “estimated economic cost at farm level” of more than €100 million before the cost per suckler cow is factored in.
In addition to this, one of the other measures put forward by the group is an increase in areas under organic beef production to 180,000ha by 2027.
Around €37 million of public funding to support the transition to organics has already been earmarked in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan.
According to the Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group the measures it has put forward combined with those set out in the Food Vision Dairy could deliver an emissions reduction of 4.28Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) without a reduction in animal numbers.
This, they claim, moves the agri-sector closer to the overall target of “5.75Mt CO2e”.
Reservations
But the group’s report also details the “significant reservations” that have been expressed by both farm organisations and the meat industry in relation to the financial impact of many of the measures contained in the final document.
In particular, the voluntary diversification scheme and the voluntary extensification schemes.
Some stakeholders rejected the inclusion of these measures in the final report because of “the wider economic and social impact of reducing suckler cow numbers”.
“Stakeholders have reserved their position on the final report until there is a commitment for state funding to support the measures.
“These concerns and reservations are articulated throughout this report, and it is important to note that Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) withdrew from the process of the start of the seventh meeting,” the report details.
Concerns were also expressed by a number of farm organisations in the run up to the publication of the final report with the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) warning the report would be “rejected”, Macra disclosing details of an “impasse” and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) previously indicating it would “not sign” up to it.
The members of the group also stressed that it was important to acknowledge that many of the measures which could contribute directly to emissions reductions will have a direct economic impact on profitability of production at farm level.
“The measures which have the effect of reducing beef output could impact on the competitiveness of the beef processing sector,” the group has also warned.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who chaired the fifth meeting of the group today, said he understood that the measures contained in the final report had “not been agreed by all members of the group”.
Minister Charlie McConalogue said this was “understandable given that there are significant economic costs, particularly at farm level, attached to implementing some of these measures”.
“My ultimate aim is to future-proof our beef sector for the benefit of our industry, the environment and our farm families who are the backbone of the sector and rural communities,” the minister said.