Macra na Feirme claims young farmers should be at the front of any climate change action following the publication of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021.
Thomas Duffy Macra president said that the challenges facing agriculture can only be overcome by supporting young farmers to adopt new practices.
“If we want to change practices the first thing we must do is look at the make up of farming. Less than five per cent of farmers are under the age of 35 – this is because young trained farmers are not able to access the land or credit they need. If you want to change practice, young driven farmers are what is needed,” Mr Duffy explained.
The young farmer organisation said the focus must be on reducing methane rather than herd numbers. Macra believes that better herd management, livestock genetics and reduced breeding and slaughter ages can achieve “significant reductions” in national methane emissions, while protecting farm incomes.
Further measures including changing to protected urea, reductions in feed protein and better incorporation of clover have all been shown to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
Macra also pointed out inconsistency between European and Irish governmental ambition, as well as many of the policies currently in place, saying that this has often been regarded by farmers as a major obstacle to any environmental improvement.
LSL News.