Farmers advised to prepare for severe swings in weather

Irish farmers will have to prepare for increasingly severe swings between excessive rainfall, drought, and heat as climate change creates new risks for farming and food production, according to the Climate Change Advisory Council.

It said farmers need greater support and should be given much more detailed information about the climate risks facing their individual farms, as well as practical advice and financial support to help them adapt.

It is calling on the Department of Agriculture to develop a new climate-risk tool capable of providing information tailored to individual parcels of land, and to do so within the next 12 months.

The recommendation is contained in the Council's latest Annual Review of Agriculture, Land Use and Forestry.

The Review also warns that Ireland remains well behind its targets for reducing agricultural emissions, planting forests and developing a domestic biomethane industry.

The Council said farmers are already having to manage very different climate-related risks during different parts of the year, including prolonged periods of excessive rainfall, heatwaves and drought.

Heavy rainfall can prevent livestock from grazing and increase dependence on stored fodder, while placing additional pressure on animal housing, manure management and agricultural run-off.

At the other extreme, drought and high temperatures can reduce grass and crop growth, deplete fodder reserves, affect animal welfare and make working conditions more difficult.

The report said these should no longer be regarded simply as isolated weather crises.

Chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council, Alex White, said we cannot keep treating every prolonged wet period or drought as an isolated crisis.

"This year we have seen too much water at one time of year and too little at another. Climate change is challenging some of the established practices involved in agriculture and land management."

Mr White said practical support would be essential, whether through making farms more resilient, adapting existing practices or pursuing diversification, including forestry, carbon farming and renewable energy.

He added that the required transition has to be shaped in collaboration with rural communities and farmers and not simply designed for them.

Today's report also raises concerns about the resilience of Ireland's food supply.

It highlights that Ireland’s heavy dependence on imported fruit and vegetables, leaves supply exposed to extreme weather and crop failures overseas.

There is also the added risk of disruption to international supply chains.

The Climate Change Advisory Council said the decline in the number of Irish horticultural producers has increased that vulnerability.

It wants the Government to examine how greater domestic horticultural production could strengthen Ireland’s food security.

At the same time, there has been only limited progress in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by agriculture itself.

Emissions fell by just 0.2% last year and are now 4.7% below their 2018 level. This is less than half of the Government's commitment to reduce agricultural emissions by 10% by 2025.

The latest EPA projections suggest that implementing all of the additional climate measures currently planned for the sector would reduce agricultural emissions by around 19% by 2030.

But this is still short of the 25% cut the Government is obliged to achieve.

Nevertheless, the Council said the full reduction remains achievable if additional diversification measures identified in the Climate Action Plan are also implemented.

These include reducing the age at which cattle are slaughtered, increased use of lower-emission protected urea fertiliser and the use of feed and manure additives capable of reducing methane.

It wants the Department of Agriculture to produce a properly funded and time-bound implementation plan within the next year to accelerate measures capable of reducing emissions on farms.

Forestry presents another major difficulty, according to today’s report.

Only 2,527 hectares of new forest were planted last year, compared with the longstanding annual target of 8,000 hectares.

This leaves Ireland substantially off track to achieve its target of increasing national forest cover to 18% by the middle of the century.

Many forests planted during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s are now approaching harvesting age, while too few new forests are being planted to replace the carbon removals that will be lost.

The Council wants the next Forestry Programme to address the financial, administrative and practical barriers that are discouraging farmers and landowners from planting.

The Review also raises concern about the extremely slow development of Ireland's biomethane industry, which is intended to provide renewable gas while offering farmers an alternative source of income.

Despite significant public funding, only 39.3 gigawatt hours of domestically produced biomethane was injected into the national gas grid between 2022 and 2024.

That is equivalent to just 0.7% of the Government's target of 5.7 terawatt hours by 2030.

The EPA has now reduced its projection for biomethane production in Ireland by 2030 to 1.75 terawatt hours, representing a 59% downward revision on its previous projection.

The Council said delays in introducing the Renewable Heat Obligation are holding back the market certainty needed to encourage investment in anaerobic digestion plants.

It said progressing the obligation is essential if biomethane is to contribute meaningfully to energy security, emissions reductions and the diversification of farm incomes.

Overall, the Council said climate policy for agriculture now has to tackle two challenges simultaneously: it has to reduce the sector's substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time helping farmers prepare for the increasingly severe consequences of a changing climate.