The Department of Agriculture is pushing for the equivalent of 2m straw bales to be chopped into the soil as part of a suite of measures to meet climate targets by 2030.

An internal document seen by the Irish Farmers Journal reveals a target of 25% of all straw to be incorporated.

It also reveals proposals for further regulations on fertiliser type, the compulsory use of low-emission slurry spreading on all farms and the introduction of lipids or fatty acids to the diet of dairy cows.

A large portion of emissions from the agriculture sector come from fertiliser and slurry, and senior Department officials were considering the document, which was blunt about the potential for Irish agriculture to miss climate targets without the introduction of tougher regulations.