200,000 cows expected to die: Irish farmers face greater pressure over climate targets

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The goal is to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. Now department head Charlie McConalogue has been unable to reach an agreement with the EU on extending the exemption for the use of nitrates.

In the future, only 220 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare may be used for fertilization in large parts of the country instead of the current 250 kilograms. This is intended to reduce pollution of Irish waters with nutrients such as nitrates and phosphorus. The change is estimated to affect around 3,000 of Ireland’s 17,500 farmers.

But that will probably change. From 2026, the limit for Ireland will only be 170 kilograms, which is already the rule in most EU countries. To prevent this, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has invited the responsible EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius for a visit, as the Irish Times reported.

Emerald Isle farmers point out that water conservation requirements also affect the maximum number of cows they can keep. In the future, they would either have to acquire more land or significantly reduce the number of cows they own – either way the farms would become less profitable. The young farmers’ association Macra na Feirme warned: “Already scarce areas will disappear even further from the reach of new farmers due to the continued increase in demand.”

Irish Milk Suppliers Association chairman Pat McCormack spoke of a sell-out and appealed for help. “The illusion that farmers have to bear the environmental costs of food production, in addition to the economic costs they have borne for 35 years, must simply be rejected,” he said.

Also adding to the anger of influential farmers was the Environmental Protection Agency calling for a significant reduction in meat consumption. After demonstrations, the Ministry of Agriculture announced “an intensive exchange with interest groups” in the coming months. “The top priority is to find a way to achieve the legally binding target of a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 2030, equivalent to a reduction of 5.75 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent,” said the report. A “voluntary reduction program for dairy cattle” should be explored. (SDA)

Source: Blick