The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has received a significant response to their public consultation ‘Ag Climatise’.

‘Ag Climatise’ refers to a National climate change and air quality roadmap for the agri-food sector. The roadmap will set out specific actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions and ammonia emissions coming from the agriculture sector. DAFM received 400 responses to their online survey and 100 written submissions. Due to the volume of responses, DAFM has rearranged a stakeholder workshop on ‘Ag Climatise’ to 12^th February to allow them to review all responses.

The main actions proposed by DAFM include:

• Replacing CAN fertiliser % with Protected Urea by 50% by 2022
• Prohibit the use of urea (replacing with protected urea), in particular on grassland by 2025
• Increase Trailing Shoe LESS usage to 60% by 2022, 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030
• Increase EBI to €230 by 2030
• Increase annual afforestation rates to 10,000 ha/annum by 2030
• Rewet 40,000 ha of drained organic soils by 2022
• Improve the soil/grassland management of 225,000 ha by 2025 and 450,000 ha by 2030
• Promote the use of grass measurement for the majority of dairy farmers by 2022
• Require incorporation of clover (and mixed species) in all grass reseeds by 2022
• Develop an electronic fertiliser and manure data base to support best practice and evidence of optimum nutrient management and soil fertility
• Enhance opportunities from nature-based solutions such as hedgerows farm woodlands and peatlands

ICOS submitted a high-level response in conjunction with Dairy Industry Ireland (DII). Additionally, a more detailed response to the questions posed by DAFM was submitted. Both submissions can be viewed here: ICOS and Dairy Sustainability Ireland

Eamonn Farrell – Agri Food Policy Executive