FARMER representative bodies and all interested parties have been invited by the Dept. of Agriculture to make submissions in relation to a new plan being formulated dealing with climate change and agriculture.

The 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan for the Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood Sectors, opened for public consultation from Thursday of last week [August 7], and will open for submissions up until Thursday, September 4 next.

Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, said that the new plan would be a key part and ‘enabler’ in different sectors such as Ireland’s Forest Strategy 2023-2030; Food Vision 2030; CAP Strategic Plan and the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development 2030.

He added that the adaptation strategy was also embedded in Ireland’s Climate Action Plans and stressed that it wasn’t ‘a one-off emergency response’ but was ‘a strategic and proactive effort to build the resilience of our economy, communities, and ecosystems’.

“Effective adaptation aims to reduce the long-term costs of climate-related disruptions while seizing any new opportunities that a changing climate may present.

“This process includes preparing for a range of climate-related events – such as floods, fodder shortages, and increasingly severe storms affecting harbours, forests, and other vulnerable sectors,” said Minister Heydon

He added that climate change was not just an issue for the primary producer but was something that everyone in the production chain needed to consider.

Connacht IFA Regional Chair, Brendan Golden, told the Farming Tribune that the IFA, at national leve,l would be making a very detailed and comprehensive submission on the new plan.

“Farmers have already embraced a whole series of measure in relation to environmental and climate issues and have been very willing partners in this whole process.

“Nearly all of the farming schemes have an environmental aspect to them but we need to ensure that Irish farmers – as primary food producers – are supported and compensated for the massive effort that they are making on those issues.

“There has been a huge exodus from farming over recent times and also the age profile of farmers is increasing with every passing year.

“The will and the effort is there among farmers to do the right things from an environmental and climate point of view, but they also have to be able to survive financially on their farms,” said Brendan Golden.

The draft 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan highlights a number of case studies identifying how the sectors have, and will continue to be, impacted upon by changing weather patterns and steps towards building resilience.

■ The closing date for submissions on the new plan is 5pm Thursday, September 4, 2025. Submissions should be sent by email to Adaptation2025@agriculture.gov.ie or by post to: Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Climate Change & Bio-Energy Policy Division, Old Knockmay Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, R32 YK81.

Pictured: Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon