A Government target to reduce the average age of slaughter of prime cattle from 27 to 24 months drew was heavily criticised by farmers at Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue last CAP consultation meeting in Roscommon last week.

The new target is among a host of measures in the Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture.

However, farmers at the event were furious with the proposal, with many suggesting it could damage the grass-fed image of Irish beef.

One farmer said Irish food is marketed on the back of its grass-fed image and is not based on farmers 'making up feed merchants'.

Another farmer asked the Minister what level of concentrate feed he thought an animal would need to be fit to kill at 24mts? If it was possible without 'packing them with nuts'? and queried how that could still be described as 'grass-fed'.

Responding the Minister said reducing the slaughter age is something that has real potential to reduce agriculture's overall emissions.

"Many farmers can currently do it and at increased profitability, he said, adding that "for every month we bring it down, we are making a significant improvement in terms of our emissions footprint".

"It can be done in a way that maintains profitability. Not every farmer will be able to achieve it, but plenty will," he said.

Over the period 2010 to 2020 there has been substantial in the age at which cattle are slaughtered in Ireland, according to Teagasc.

For example, in 2010 the average age at which dairy-sired steers were slaughtered was 908 days, while in 2020 the corresponding age was 857 days.

It said the result of this has been a significant reduction in the amount of enteric and manure methane emissions produced.

In research for the Climate Advisory Council, Teagasc said it is possible that such reductions in age at slaughter could continue between now and 2030.

However, it said further reductions in age at slaughter would likely be associated with a reduction in carcass weights.

"Without incentives and directly selecting genetically for animals that have a pre-disposition for a reduction in age at slaughter, the progress over the next decade is expected to be less than that achieved between 2010 and 2020," it said.

Despite this, it said the potential of reducing slaughter age to cut emissions was 'substantial'.