The national herd will not have to be culled to meet new climate emission targets, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has said.

Mr McConalogue has also hit out at rural independent TDs for “whipping up fear and anxiety” around the Government’s new Climate Action Plan.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr McConalogue said there is a need to reduce emissions but not food production.

When asked if culling the national herd will be necessary to meet emissions targets, he said: “No, we won’t. We will be reducing our overall emissions footprint, and this will strengthen the value of the product we’re producing as well, because it’s maximising its sustain credentials and its attractiveness to customers. The plan is about showing how we’ll cut emissions, not food production. 

“There’s no one making an argument that we should reduce our food production.”

The agricultural sector has to cut carbon emissions by between 22pc and 30pc by 2030.

Mr McConalogue said this will be done by a range of measures, including earlier slaughter dates, less reliance on chemical fertiliser, optimum soil fertility and using organic manure and fertiliser to grow grass.

Reducing crude protein in animal diets and incorporating new research on methane emissions into breeding programmes will also cut emissions in the sector.

Mr McConalogue also criticised independent rural TDs who have accused the Government of “greenwashing” with its climate plan.

The Rural Independents Group has said the plan will “disproportionately target” people living in rural areas with “skyrocketing increases to living costs and removal of ways to earn a living”.

“I don’t think we’ll ever be able to look to the rural independents for leadership,” Mr McConalogue said.

“The standard fare of rural independents is whipping up fear and anxieties, rather than showing leadership.

“A number of them, for example, don’t agree with the climate science at all, that there is a climate challenge.

“The language that they come out with doesn’t back up the fact that they believe that anything needs to be done.” 

He said politicians who “prey on people’s anxieties or fears” should instead “show leadership”.

Mr McConalogue said he thinks farmers are happy with the new Climate Action Plan.

“I think there will be a relief among farmers, there had been much speculation, for example, that agriculture might have to be cut by up to 51pc,” he said.

“So I think there will be a relief among farmers that the role that agriculture plays will be recognised in the target that it has been given.”

“It’s a big challenge but I think that it is one that farmers are up for.

“The reason I got into Government and the reason Fianna Fáil went into Government was to work to support Ireland, rural Ireland, to support Irish agriculture and we are without a doubt doing that.”