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There are no concrete proposals defined by the Department of Agriculture to manage carbon emissions from the dairy sector, according to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
Minister McConalogue insisted that “it is certainly not the case that my Department has any proposals for the reintroduction of quotas or limits on dairy production”.
He made the comments on Tuesday afternoon after it was suggested by a senior Department official on Monday that three options, including a limit on dairy cow numbers per farm, a limit on the volume produced per farm or the establishment of a greenhouse gas entitlement per farm, are under consideration by the Department to curtail expansion in the Irish dairy sector.
Solutions
Speaking at the Food Vision dairy group meeting held on Monday, Department Assistant Secretary General Sinead McPhillips reportedly said unless the group could come up with and agree on solutions to reduce greenhouse gases from the sector, then the Department was going to introduce one of the three mandatory options.
However, amid criticism of Monday’s revelations by farm organisations, Minister McConalogue said: “There is no predetermined outcome involved and I have tasked the committee with reflecting on the challenges facing the sector and reporting to me when they have considered all options.”
Models
Earlier on Tuesday, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) warned that there is no legal basis for any of the dairy quota models put forward by the Department of Agriculture at Monday’s meeting.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said: “I want to be very clear. IFA will not accept the imposition of a quota of any kind on any sector.”
Similarly, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) said “there are no circumstances” in which it will agree to a cap on the volumes of milk produced in Ireland.
ICMSA president Pat McCormack said the Government had already stated that it believed that the emissions targets could be achieved without such restrictions and farmers were entitled to take them at their word.
Macra president John Keane described how multiple farmers had contacted him, concerned for their livelihoods after hearing what had been discussed at the dairy group meeting.
“It is baffling to think that the Department are considering reintroducing quotas that will slow generational renewal even further, halt efficiency gains in the sector and leave farm families in vulnerable positions,” he said.
Variety
The Minister indicated that the dairy group has had discussions on a “variety of issues” including the calculation of the current emissions inventory, pathways to reductions in nitrous oxide emissions and the challenge facing the dairy sector in terms of stabilising and then reducing emissions.
Referring to Monday’s proceedings and the challenges facing the dairy sector, the Minister said: “While nothing is off the table, similarly, there are absolutely no concrete proposals already defined by the Department.
“This is an industry-led group made up of those who make up our critically important dairy sector; farmers, co-ops, processors, Department officials and scientists, led by a committed and skilled chair in Prof Gerry Boyle. I trust this committee with bringing forward a complete and well-thought-out options paper in due course.”
McConalogue insisted that the dairy sector will continue to be a key component of Ireland’s agri-food sector and overall economy.
“I want to ensure that the sector remains strong and robust into the future and will continue to be an avenue for farm families to generate a fair income for generations to come.”
SHARING OPTIONS: