A “very high” uptake of mitigation measures and future technologies is needed to reach the 25% emissions reduction target for agriculture, Teagasc director, Frank O’Mara has said.
There is a pathway for the agriculture sector to meet its obligation under the government’s announced emissions reduction target by 2030 through the use of technology, he said.
A new Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) launched by Teagasc earlier this year shows that the 25% target could be met based on a 29% reduction in suckler cow numbers.
Ireland has committed to a 51% economy-wide emissions reduction target by 2030 based on 2018 levels. As part of this, the agriculture sector must cut its emissions by 25% by 2030.
The measures identified in the MACC include:
- A three-month reduction in finishing age of cattle across the herd;
- Replacing 90% of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertiliser and 100% of straight urea with protected urea;
- The use of feed additives to reduce enteric methane in half of dairy cows;
- The uptake of diversification options to displace 140,000 livestock units.
However, this level of emissions reduction assumes more ambitious adoption rates of identified mitigation measures and represents the maximum technically feasible adoption rate.
Agriculture
2024, just like the year outgoing, will “undoubtedly bring challenges” – market disruption, high input costs and weather events “tested farmers’ resilience” in 2023, O’Mara said.
Market disruption due to the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia translated into “stubbornly high” costs and a “dramatic” drop in incomes on dairy and tillage farms in 2023, he said.
While beef and sheep farm incomes remained, for the most part, relatively unchanged this year, they continued in a “challenging” economic position, according to O’Mara.
This year marked the beginning of a new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with environmentally sustainable practices becoming a “core competency” of farming in Ireland, he said.
Reflecting on the outgoing year and looking ahead to 2024, the Teagasc director said that the National Beef Open Day in Teagasc Grange will take place on June 26, 2024.
O’Mara also added that Teagasc advisors will support all dairy and beef farmers to adapt to the changes under the new Nitrates Action Programme (NAP).
Weather in 2023
Weather events from March onwards caused disturbances to spring crop establishments on tillage farms, and pasture utilisation and grazing days on dairy, beef and sheep farms, he said.
The end of May and early June saw near drought-like conditions for some, O’Mara said, bringing a reduction in grass growth rates and adding stress to already later-sown spring crops.
“The favourable weather did, however, provide an opportunity to harvest first-cut silage in good condition. Second-cut silage was much more challenging,” he added.
The return of rain amid harvest preparations created difficulties for tillage farmers trying to save crops of already reduced yield potential and led to a “smash-and-grab” harvest for many.
Additionally, weather-related issues persisted post harvest and into the winter crop establishment period, resulting in a fall in the area planted under winter barley this year, he said.