Farmers seek to cash in on carbon credits

FARMERS have insisted they be allocated carbon credits for their forestry plantations and for reducing their livestock herds.

IFA members in Limerick have asked the Association’s National Industrial Committee and National Council to ensure that farmers’ carbon credit entitlements are not hijacked by the Government.

Members revealed that farmers are being approached by parties interested in buying carbon credits, but farmers have no idea what they are worth. They said farmers who own large areas of young forestry have been approached by major non-Irish industrial companies, willing to pay substantially for carbon credits, because they are facing huge bills in taxation for emissions.