‘Ireland will hit 2020 food targets at expense of greenhouse gas cuts’

IRELAND will reach most of its 2020 food output expansion targets, but this growth will make greenhouse gas reductions unachievable, according to new analysis from Teagasc.

The national food development authority yesterday rolled out a series of sectoral road maps predicting outputs by 2018 for dairy, suckler beef, pigs, sheep, tillage, forestry, horticulture, food and the environment.

In broad terms the food sectors seem to be on track to meet the expansion targets detailed in the Government’s Food Harvest 2020 report. Food’s success will mean extra fuels, energy and machinery production hours.