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Speaking before the IFA executive council this Thurday, the Taoiseach said that the outcome of the recent climate change summit would have an effect on dairy farmers’ plans for development.
“With the expansion potential that’s there with the quotas gone, we have to take into account and consider very carefully what that means in terms of the agreement that we have had at COP21 in Paris,” Enda Kenny said.
He added that Ireland would seek to maximise the value of its agricultural land and forestry in combating climate change in European negotiations due to set emissions targets for each EU member state “in the next short period”.
“We will be able to meet our targets but it is going to provide a real challenge. I think as the dairy sector in particular becomes more into the expansionary potential that is there, we’ll have to be even more competitive and leaner in our business,” Kenny said.
“We are ahead of so many other countries at the moment both in our beef and dairy sectors in terms of carbon footprinting and that is something that with expansion for many farmers, we’ll have to be able to do to an even better degree,” he added.
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