While accepting that farmers had a part to play in addressing climate change, many farmers at the Arrabawn dairy conference on Tuesday questioned the fairness and metrics used in Ireland. One farmer asked: “Are our trees, grassland and hedges counted for carbon sequestration at the moment?”
Another said: “What’s annoying a lot of farmers is that there are 2,500 airplane flights using 63,000l of fuel passing over our heads every day and there isn’t one cook about it, but farmers seem to be getting it in the neck all the time.”
1ha of Sitka spruce will sequester the equivalent of three cows, and we have about 400,000 additional cows
Teagasc’s Trevor Donnellan said: “Grasslands are not included. Our hedgerows are not included, because we have no science and no methodology on including them. However, I don’t believe they are the get-out-of-jail card.”
Trevor Donnellan, Teagasc, Athenry..
When another farmer pushed the top table on why we can’t get the science right, Jack Nolan from the Department said: “Look, 1ha of Sitka spruce will sequester the equivalent of three cows, and we have about 400,000 additional cows.
Jack Nolan.
"On average, 600ha of hedgerows, habitats and trees are removed each year and our gains in EBI (breeding) just about balance that out.
"Be clear that farmers need to adopt new methods of spreading slurry. Be clever on lowering protein content in feed and use artificial nitrogen smarter.”
Read more
Get climate change science right, farmers demand
Watch: Prof Frank Mitloehner’s presentation on methane and carbon sequestration
While accepting that farmers had a part to play in addressing climate change, many farmers at the Arrabawn dairy conference on Tuesday questioned the fairness and metrics used in Ireland. One farmer asked: “Are our trees, grassland and hedges counted for carbon sequestration at the moment?”
Another said: “What’s annoying a lot of farmers is that there are 2,500 airplane flights using 63,000l of fuel passing over our heads every day and there isn’t one cook about it, but farmers seem to be getting it in the neck all the time.”
1ha of Sitka spruce will sequester the equivalent of three cows, and we have about 400,000 additional cows
Teagasc’s Trevor Donnellan said: “Grasslands are not included. Our hedgerows are not included, because we have no science and no methodology on including them. However, I don’t believe they are the get-out-of-jail card.”
Trevor Donnellan, Teagasc, Athenry..
When another farmer pushed the top table on why we can’t get the science right, Jack Nolan from the Department said: “Look, 1ha of Sitka spruce will sequester the equivalent of three cows, and we have about 400,000 additional cows.
Jack Nolan.
"On average, 600ha of hedgerows, habitats and trees are removed each year and our gains in EBI (breeding) just about balance that out.
"Be clear that farmers need to adopt new methods of spreading slurry. Be clever on lowering protein content in feed and use artificial nitrogen smarter.”
Read more
Get climate change science right, farmers demand
Watch: Prof Frank Mitloehner’s presentation on methane and carbon sequestration
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