Roadmap points to the end of Irish agricultural expansion

Farmers can expect measures to control the number of animals and management of their manure

Organic production is the main new expansion frontier in Irish farming, with an effective cap on livestock numbers, and use of nitrogen fertiliser to reduce by 20%.

Could Brexit halt the progress of Irish agriculture? It could, but it doesn’t matter, because climate action is going to do that anyway.

“Any increase in biogenic methane emissions from continually increasing livestock numbers will put the achievement of this target in doubt,” said the Government last week, as it set out its Ag Climatise plan for a climate-neutral agriculture by 2050, starting with a 20% reduction in nitrogen fertiliser use by 2030. With 350,000 hectares of organic farming by 2030 also in the plan (compared to 74,000 ha now); an effective cap on livestock numbers; and a one-fifth cut in the nitrogen fertilisation which powers our grass-fed enterprises, the days of expanding agricultural production are over.