Hands off our sustainable sucklers

THE Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have formally written to the leader of the Green Party Éamon Ryan telling him in no uncertain terms that any attempts to cull our environmentally sustainable traditional Suckler Herds will not be tolerated.

The INHFA President Colm O’Donnell outlined in a letter to Mr. Ryan that the recent advice given by the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) to Government targeting non profitable Suckler Herds as a means to reduce overall Green House

Gas(GHG) emissions coming from agriculture, was I’ ll advised and I’ ll informed.

In the letter O’ Donnell highlighted that before making a judgement call to target Sucklers because of their perceived lack of profitability, due diligence needed to take place as to the role extensive sustainable Suckler cow farming systems play in enhancing biodiversity and grazing for carbon. The European Commissions Joint Research Council (JRC) recently produced a report indicating that cattle grazed at sustainable levels was a huge benefit in grazing permanent grasslands for carbon.

The INHFA leader instructed the Green Party to reflect and have regard for the Polluter Pays Principal (PPP) of the Treaty for the Functioning of the European Union. This is a precautionary principle to deal with the source of pollutants before wrecklessly targeting a sector already playing an irreplaceable role assisting carbon sequestration on extensively grazed permanent grassland pastures.

The letter concluded by reminding Mr. Ryan that ‘its not the cow, its the how.