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Last week’s Ag Climatise document set out clear intent – fertiliser use must be reduced and emissions must be cut.
Filled with ambitious targets, the major points that stuck out were the focus on a reduction in artificial nitrogen use, a target to increase the area under tillage and an aim to skyrocket the area under organic production.
Stakeholders will now be called on to direct and support the implementation of the roadmap.
Artificial nitrogen use has to decrease
This isn’t something that will come as a surprise to anyone. The roadmap aims to reduce nitrogen use to 325,000t by 2030. Nitrogen fertiliser use peaked in 2018 at 408,000t and moving back to 325,000t is a return to 2013 levels.
A more user-friendly nutrient management plan and a national liming programme will help to improve efficiency. Only 20% of Irish soils are at optimum soil pH levels and fixing this problem could dramatically increase nutrient use efficiency.
Teagasc research suggests there is potential for 150kg N/ha to be applied to grassland swards
There is also an emphasis on clover use in grassland swards. A decline in nitrogen use is one method to help clover establish, persist and prosper.
However, success rates with establishing and maintaining clover on farms is very mixed. Teagasc research suggests there is potential for 150kg N/ha to be applied to grassland swards, while 100kg N/ha is fixed biologically, but this has not been widely demonstrated on commercial farms. The research has yet to progress to farm level.
Teagasc and Department not in agreement
Ammonia emissions from slurry spreading can be reduced by 30% with the use of low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment. The Department’s target is that 90% of slurry will be spread using LESS equipment by 2027. However, just a day before the Department announced this target, Teagasc released its target to have more than 75% using the technology by the same year.
The target will be a challenge
One has to wonder how the two organisations could release contradicting figures within 24 hours of each other.
In any case, it’s good to aim high. The target will be a challenge, but that challenge may be exactly what the industry needs to place a focus on the reduction of emissions.
Crucial to its implementation will be support and innovation from industry to reach the target and reduce waiting lists for this type of machinery, as well as operator training where needed.
There is a larger than usual focus on tillage in this report and it may be because the powers that be now realise it is a sector vital to achieving carbon neutrality.
The action to increase native grain and protein use in compound rations will not be met because it’s written in a report. The budget for the Protein-Aid Scheme needs to be announced ahead of the planting season to reassure farmers of an adequate payment. Currently, the budget is announced in December. If there is no incentive to grow these crops Irish protein availability will not increase.
Secondly, placing an Irish feed label on a bag with no value or premium payment will not increase the area under Irish grain. Premium markets are what is needed.
While the report states the need to explore the development of food and drinks markets another contradiction ensues as the document outlined that farmers should be encouraged to grow more winter crops.
Without support, the tillage area will not increase and a focus on minimum-tillage and high-tech equipment suited to large-scale farms
At present, the majority of grain provided to the drinks sector is from spring barley crops. Without real investment in research, there will not be a substantial move to the use of winter crops in the drinks sector.
Without support, the tillage area will not increase and a focus on minimum-tillage and high-tech equipment suited to large-scale farms in TAMS is not going to help young farmers to enter the sector.
Options under TAMS for young livestock farmers are aplenty and allow for basic infrastructure to be established in order to set up a farm.
What’s the difference between a milk tank and a grain trailer? You can get a milk tank under TAMS. Why not add a grain trailer to the mix?
One thing the agricultural industry should look out for in these reports are sweeping statements that eventually end up in policy. Something might look like it was used to fill a page and the next time you look it’s a requirement on your farm. One such statement from this report is “where practical, adopt minimum tillage on farms to protect soil carbon pools”.
Minimum tillage does not suit all farms for many reasons such as farm scale and weed problems. Research on the topic has really only taken off in recent years. The practice has many benefits and can work extremely well for many, but it does not suit all farms and further research is needed to identify the practicalities.
The area under organics is targeted to increase by almost 500% by 2030.
Since 2014, organic production has increased by 50% to 74,000ha. By 2030, the aim is to have 350,000ha in organic production.
In 2021, if the new organic farming scheme allows 500 farmers into organic production at an average farm size of 34ha – that equates to 17,000ha.
Consumer demand for a premium-priced product is the only thing that will lead to growth.
Industry experts say there is potential to double production from both beef and dairy, but will there be a guaranteed price premium?
If more product comes on the market, will supply outweigh demand?
On the tillage front, demand for organic oats isn’t going away and has commercial backing.
The expansion of the area planted to organic wheat is an opportunity to explore.
Industry involvement to identify and promote key markets will be crucial to producing goods carrying a price premium.
Now that the report is published, and has set goals, stakeholders must take charge of how these goals will be reached. Expert consultative groups are to be established by summer 2021. Increased funding for climate action and the environment also provides the Department with an opportunity to, as it states in the report, “develop new tailored schemes to enable farmers to make the just transition that is required”.
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