Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Agriculture Industry

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 September 2020

Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Ceisteanna (162)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

162. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to be in a position to maximise opportunities for the dairy and beef sectors while being mindful of the need to meet carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24409/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Programme for Government, which sets a clear ambition around climate action, also explicitly references the special economic role of agriculture in rural Ireland.

Targeted supports for the beef and dairy sectors over recent years have focused on improving the economic performance of the sectors, while also improving environmental sustainability. The Beef Data Genomics Programme, for example, has made a siginficant contribution to improving the overall environmental and economic efficiency of the beef herd. The BEEP-S (2020)  programme records the weaning efficiency of individual suckler cows, and also supports best practice in welfare management.  The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) supports capital investment in measures such as low emissions slurry spreading equipment, an important part of the Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve.

Ireland is rated among the top performing countries in Europe in terms of carbon efficiency per unit of output, for dairy in particular. This is primarily attributable to our carbon-efficient grass-based systems of production. Ireland’s sustainability credentials, verified through Origin Green, are a key point of differentiation from our competitors in the marketplace.  However, there is no room for complacency in this regard, and I know that there is a shared ambition from stakeholders in the sector for further improvement.

Barr
Roinn