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Slurry storage capacity on farms will have to be reassessed for its capacity to cope with extreme weather events, the Department of Agriculture has warned.
Launching a public consultation on the climate adaptation plan for agriculture, forest and seafood sector, the dangers of extreme weather events were highlighted.
The 2018 drought caused animal stress and disease pressure, a fodder shortage and compromised farm safety, according to the Department.
It also resulted in compliance difficulties with EU Nitrates Directives regarding slurry storage and land spreading, irrigation pressures and altered soil quality.
Management planning
It warned that the on-farm capacity to source, store and deliver safe water on farms will need to become an integral part of management planning.
“Slurry storage will need to be reassessed for capacity during extreme weather events,” the launch report warned.
Wetter winters over the next 50 years will means farmers will have "slurry and spreading difficulties" ???? - Seamus Walsh @MetEireann tells the crowd at the Climate Adaptation Plan @agriculture_ie
— Hannah QuinnMulligan (@hqmulligan) June 27, 2019
It also highlighted a need for water management at national, regional and local levels to be integrated further to improve physical and logistical adaptation measures for water in agriculture during both drought and flood events.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and Minister for State, Andrew Doyle launched a public consultation process on a draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan this Thursday.
Adaptation is the process of preparing for the impacts of climate disruption, including preparations for events such as flooding, fodder shortages or extreme weather storms in harbours and in forests.
"Farmers, landowners and fishermen are very much to the forefront of dealing with the impacts of a changing climate in their everyday activities," said MInister Creed.
"However, climate change is not just an issue for the primary producer; it is something that everyone in the production chain needs to consider.
"The Irish agriculture, forest and seafood sector will not only be impacted by changes in climate here at home, but also by climate change globally."
The consultation will be open for seven weeks, with a closing date of 16 August 2019.
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