Minister Eamon Ryan has said factories must pay farmers for some of the climate action solutions during his visit to Tipperary today.
The Environment Minister was at Gurteen College where he met local farm representative groups, young farmers and students.
He told Tipp Today that he believes that farming is going green, shutting down any suggestion that his agenda was at odds with that of the Agriculture Minister.
However, he was insistent that farmers must be paid appropriately for changes and that while some of that will be done through CAP, carbon tax and new EU initiatives, meat and dairy companies have a role to play.
“Because my understanding is that the large food co-ops, beef companies and dairy companies – they are also going to have to play their part in meeting these climate targets.
“They are going to be set very high targets by the people who finance them – by the banks – to make sure are you part of the solution here rather than part of the problem.
“I believe that then gives us an opportunity to make sure that they pay farmers for some of the solutions in this climate and biodiversity and pollution reducing way.”
