Ireland mulls culling 200,000 cattle to fight climate change

DUBLIN, Ireland - Ireland is considering culling some 200,000 cattle in the next three years in a bid to reach its climate goals and fight global warming, according to an internal memo from the Agriculture Ministry, reported German news agency (dpa).

Talks between dairy farmers and government representatives are planned, Pat McCormack, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, said.

He said the Irish government would have to show commitment and present a budget to finance this. In addition, such a programme could only be voluntary, McCormack added.

The government will offer farmers voluntary, financially attractive options, a spokeswoman for the ministry said.

Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the country would likely miss its climate targets by a wide margin.

One of these targets states that emissions from the agricultural sector alone should fall by between four per cent and 20 per cent by 2030.

Overall, Ireland aims to reduce the country's emissions by 30 per cent compared to 2005 levels. - BERNAMA-dpa