Agriculture key if State to reach climate plan targets

Irish agriculture, the largest single contributor to the State’s greenhouse gas emissions, must take radical action to meet its target of cutting emissions by up to a third by 2030, according to the Government’s climate plan.

Recognising agriculture’s importance, the report notes that it accounts for almost 7 per cent of the State’s economic activity, employs nearly 165,000 people and a tenth of all exports, worth €14 billion annually.

However, the plan notes that farming accounts for 35.2 per cent of all Irish emissions and produced 22.03 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018, up 8 per cent from 2005. Provisional figures for last year put agriculture’s share at 37.1 per cent.

The increase has been driven mainly by a rise in the number of cows and by the huge increase in milk production that has taken place since the ending of the EU milk quota system in 2015.

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Farming emissions fell in 2019 because of a fall-off in fertiliser use and liming, but recent trends show that emissions will rise again, where efficiency gains are wiped out by the growth in cattle numbers.

Significant cuts in nitrous oxide emissions on farms must occur, the report warns, with the use of chemical nitrogen fertilisers falling below 350,000 tonnes by 2025 and below 325,000 tonnes by 2030.

Meanwhile, nine out of 10 farmers must start spreading slurry according to low-emission rules by 2030, while two-thirds must replace calcium ammonium nitrate fertiliser with less-damaging protected urea.

However, the climate plan acknowledges that Irish agriculture has a good reputation internationally because cattle spend so much time outdoors, compared with countries where cattle are kept indoors for months on end, or all the time.

But notwithstanding that, it is imperative that Irish agriculture undertake measures to cut emissions, the report warns, as several key indicators are “trending in the wrong direction”.

Agriculture is responsible for 99 per cent of national ammonia emissions, while run-offs from farmland into water streams are affecting fish, molluscs, terrestrial mammals and vascular plants.

More than 80 per cent of farming’s GHG emissions are directly linked to the 7.3 million animals now being reared, and the manure they create, while an eighth of emissions is blamed on fertilisers.

Animal breeding

Better breeding will produce cattle that can reach desired weights quicker, which will mean that they can be slaughtered three months earlier, at 24 months, rather than 27 months today.

New feed additives offer the chance to cut methane emissions especially during winter months, while changes to grains, or corn meal fed to cattle should lower nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions, too.

Meanwhile, the reports says that 350,000 hectares will be farmed organically by 2030, while biomethane from farming waste will power up to 300,000 homes by 2030.