The outlook 2022 report for the environment focused on gaseous emissions. Teagasc’s Cathal Buckley predicted that absolute emissions will rise on dairy farms in 2021, as livestock numbers and fertiliser use increased.

This is offset by static and decreasing emissions on cattle, sheep and tillage farms.

For instance, where dairy cow numbers increased by 2.35%, other cow numbers decreased by 4.37%.

He also noted that dairy cows have higher emissions than other cows and enteric fermentation was playing a large role in those emissions.

He added that it is disappointing to see that protected urea use only increased by 2.8% and noted that supply chain issues had a role to play in this set back.

On a positive note, Buckley expects LESS use to increase to approximately 50% in 2021, up from 36% in 2020.

This should help to offset any increase in ammonia emissions from animal numbers or fertiliser.