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Farmers who took part in this year’s Smart Farming programme made an average cost saving on their farms of €8,700.
The first programme report from the initiative, led by IFA in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), details that the target this year was to achieve an average cost saving of €5,000, with the programme exceeding this target this year.
Dairy farms represented the largest average cost savings of the participating farms with an average saving of €10,200.
The actual savings ranged between €2,345 and €23,342.
The programme’s target this year was also to achieve a reduction of 5%-7% in greenhouse gas emissions for each participating farm.
This figure was also surpassed, with a 10% average greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
Soil fertility accounted for 47% of the savings made by farms in the programme, followed by grassland management with 21% of savings.
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten TD said “collaborative initiatives such as Smart Farming are crucial to delivering a sustainable recovery, through its dual mandate of improving farm returns while enhancing the environment.
“Smart Farming works and it is making a real difference for farm families, their communities and the wider environment.”
IFA president Joe Healy said he was greatly encouraged by the results from the first progress report and he said the ambition of Smart Farming is now to build on this.
“There is a double dividend here for farmers and wider communities: improving farm returns and enhancing the environment through better use of resources.”
Practical leadership
Laura Burke, EPA director, said the work of Smart Farming is an example of practical leadership in the transition to a low-carbon and resource efficient economy.
“It provides an opportunity for the resource efficiency measures identified to be adopted more widely and for promoting enduring behaviour that will benefit the whole community.”
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