The farming organisations warned yesterday that any attempt to cut livestock levels by 10 per cent over the next 10 years to reduce greenhouse gases will have to be accompanied by national and EU aid to the farming community.
The Government strategy to reduce methane emissions caused by agriculture was announced on Wednesday by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, who said the national herd was responsible for 32 per cent of emissions in 1998.
He said the reduction in the national herd would have to be the equivalent to a reduction in livestock numbers of 10 per cent below the projected levels for 2010. However, these would have to be negotiated with farmers.
Mr Tom Parlon, president of the Irish Farmers Association, said the cuts indicated by Mr Dempsey would undermine farm incomes and he called on the Government to enter talks immediately to agree how emissions could be reduced while securing the future and livelihoods of Irish livestock farmers.
"While the Agenda 2000 Common Agricultural Policy agreement already contains a major integration of environmental policies with rural environment protection schemes and controls on stocking levels, no measures were agreed on greenhouse gas reductions from agriculture," he said.
"Because of the effect on farm incomes, the severe cuts in livestock numbers now being proposed in the Government's strategy cannot be met without significant national and EU supports," he said.
Mr Parlon said the £1.5 billion livestock industry was concerned about the threat to Ireland's competitive position from other world trading blocs, such as the US, which had so far failed to sign the Kyoto agreement.
Ireland's ability to meet its greenhouse gas emission targets, which were based on 1990 levels plus 13 per cent, had been eased by the fact that agricultural emissions are forecast to remain static, unlike other sectors, such as transport, where emissions were forecast to rise by up to 180 per cent.
A spokesman for the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said it, too, wanted immediate discussions with the Government on the proposed cuts, which seemed inordinately high compared to other sectors.