Without animal health products Ireland would need an additional 6.7m cattle to meet current production
requirements. This would increase the output of manure by 89% and likewise would lead to an 89% increase
in methane gas production.
Without plant protection products, current production levels would require an increase of 60% in our arable
land, allowing for reduced yields and the need to farm less productive land.
Such an expansion of the area ploughed would increase the risk of nitrate pollution as a natural phenomenon
which occurs when grassland is ploughed.