Half of slurry will have to be spread with trailing shoes by 2030 and its application moved earlier in the spring, while half of all CAN fertiliser must be replaced by protected urea, according to the all-Government climate action plan adopted at a special cabinet meeting this Monday.

These are some of over 180 actions in the first version of the plan, which is to be updated every year as new data and technologies become available.

Other farming objectives highlighted by the Government include an increase in the average EBI of dairy cows from €70 in 2017 to €230 in 2030 and the planting of an average 8,000ha of forestry each year for the next 10 years – doubling the 4,000ha planted last year.

Just like trees, soils can suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and the plan sets a target of "rewetting 40,000ha of organic grassland soils".

Farmers will need to change the way they manage another 450,000ha of land to increase its carbon storage ability.

Hedgerow protection and planting is mentioned here, but there is little detail.

These measures are all based on the so-called Teagasc MACC report, which identifies what farmers can do to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and how much it will cost.

10% cut in emissions

As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal earlier on Monday, implementing all the measures in the Teagasc roadmap would achieve a 10% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from farming compared with 2017 levels, based on expected evolution in livestock numbers.

This is the target adopted by the Government for the industry, with no mention of a need to curb production. "I don't believe that emissions are the new quota, said Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed at the launch of the plan.

This is possible because all the carbon stored in trees and soils - and allowed by the EU to be counted against emissions - will benefit agriculture.

Also, other industries are assigned stricter targets, with transport expected to reduce emissions by 35% to 40% compared with 2017 levels, and heating in buildings 25% to 30%.

On electricity, rules will change "in early 2020 to enable micro-generated electricity to be sold to the grid," the plan states. This means that power from installations such as solar panels on shed roofs not used directly on the farm will start to generate an income for farmers at the same price as wholesale electricity producers ge on the market.

Quarterly reports

The Department of Agriculture and all other departments will report on progress every three months to a central climate action delivery board within the Department of An Taoiseach.

This will be scrutinised by a new, permanent Oireachtas committee on climate action.

A new climate action council will give expert advice to the Government and the Oireachtas on updates to the carbon budget allocated to every industry every five years.

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