Farming has a “special case” when it comes to carbon emissions reduction, An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

When asked about the ongoing sectoral emissions negotiations within Government and the reduction target that he envisages being set for the agricultural sector, he said there will be a “lesser” target “because it is special” and “we are treating it differently because it involves food production and it involves the rural economy”.

He said “it’s not the case” that farmers will be “told that they have to reduce the size of their herd”.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, who is currently negotiating an emissions reduction target with Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, refused to speculate on his desired percentage within the 22-30% range but insisted it’s “about striking that balance in relation to food production and reducing the emissions from it”.

However, speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, rural and backbench Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs said their “expectation” is that the negotiated target will arrive at the “lower end” of the range, “closer to the 22% mark”.

Oireachtas Agriculture Committee chair and Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said that in his view, the target needs to be closer to 22%. He said there would “definitely” be unease among his rural colleagues if a higher reduction target was expected of farmers. The Tipperary TD highlighted the need to protect food production due to food shortages which he said are leading to starvation in other parts of the world.

Dissent

Fellow TD John McGuinness warned of dissent among rural Fianna Fáil parliamentary party members if agriculture’s target wasn’t within the 22-25% range. He said that when the Programme for Government was agreed with his party’s Green Party coalition colleagues, it was a “different world altogether”.

He said the war in Ukraine and rising input costs have completely changed things and therefore, the targets need to be revised.

John Paul Phelan TD said that there would be similar “uproar” within Fine Gael if a target closer to the 30% emissions reduction was directed at the farm sector.

He warned that food production emissions can’t be viewed in the same light and said the “expectation” among his Fine Gael peers is that a target closer to 22% will come from ministers Ryan and McConalogue.