Dairy Focus: More cows, less emissions: how it can be done

Agriculture must share in Ireland’s requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to the 2005 level.

In the context of dairying, higher yielding cows offer scope for reducing emissions. Irish cows, on average, are producing less than 70% of their genetic milk potential.

Improvement in genetic merit and higher output per cow, mainly from improved pastures, will be a feature of Irish dairying in future.