The proposals in the recently published Climate Change Advisory Council report to significantly reduce the national suckler herd, has been described by IFA president Joe Healy as being based on the “flawed logic” of looking at emissions from food production on a single country basis.

“The proposed cut in the herd takes no account of the economic or social consequences, particularly for areas where beef production is the backbone of the local economy, with cattle farmers spending over €1.5bn each year on agri-inputs.

“Reducing the Irish suckler herd will result in an increase in global emissions, as beef would be produced in countries with less sustainable system,” he said.

Population

“With the world population growing, it is reckless to consider reducing food production in countries who have ideal climatic conditions for producing food naturally,” Healy said.

Farmers need to be rewarded for taking the hit. If you want people to get out of beef, they will need a package

John Halley, suckler chair of the ICSA, told the Irish Farmers Journal that it is all very well to say get out of beef, but nobody is coming up with how farmers can make money out of something else.

“Farmers need to be rewarded for taking the hit. If you want people to get out of beef, they will need a package.

“Getting out of beef is only an option for farmers if they are able to get an alternative income.”

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Listen: large-scale suckler cull recommended by climate report

Cutting suckler herd in climate report is ‘flawed logic’