Farm leaders want national effort to help with fodder shortage

Farm leaders have called for a “major national effort” to help farmers affected by fodder shortages and ensure that they have enough hay and silage for the winter months.

The IFA brought senior figures in marts, co-ops, merchants and banks to a meeting in Portlaoise yesterday in a bid to devise a strategy to ease farmers’ problems.

Speaking afterwards, IFA president John Bryan said "meaningful Government intervention will be required to secure enough winter fodder and recover the losses incurred following the worst period of farming weather in living memory".

He called on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to extend the fodder transport subsidy for at least two more weeks, to help farmers in the west and Border regions who are worst affected. Connacht Gold has imported 150 loads of hay and haylage and will continue to take fodder into the country this week. Yesterday 16 loads were being loaded in England for delivery to the west and north west tonight and tomorrow. A spokesman for the co-op said the improvement in the weather has resulted in an easing of demand from farmers in the drier areas. "But there is still intense demand from farmers in the wetter farming areas."

Mr Bryan highlighted Teagasc’s assessment of a potential shortfall in next winter’s fodder supply of up to 30 per cent and said this must be “a call to action” for Mr Coveney and the government. And he repeated his call for a €50 million recovery package, including a fertiliser subsidy and subsidised loans for farmers who will have to borrow to keep their businesses going.

Banks have also been urged to offer low-interest flexible working capital loans to help farmers deal with massive merchant and co-op bills.

More than 30,000 tonnes of fodder has been imported into the State since the Department of Agriculture began offering a transport subsidy to lessen the cost to farmers. Mr Coveney said some 2,000 loads of imported fodder had benefited from the subsidy provided by his department up to the end of last week. The subsidy scheme will end on Friday but Mr Coveney said that any purchases placed by then, but not delivered until next week, would be included.

Yesterday the cutting of more than 220 acres of grass began at Dublin Airport in a bid to help farmers with fodder problems. A spokeswoman for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said the grass would be donated to farmers through the IFA.

“The grass at Dublin Airport is managed in order to deter birds nesting or feeding on the airfield and grass cutting is managed in a specific way so that airport operations are not affected,” she said. “We are delighted that the grass from our airfield is going to farmers who need it to feed their livestock.”

This follows a similar move by Shannon Airport after representations by the farm organisation.

IFA has estimated that the cost and damage on farms from almost a year of poor weather amounts to “hundreds of millions” and said thousands of farmers were in a desperate position trying to cope with saturated ground and no fodder or cash flow.

The farm organisation has now organised the delivery of 1,500 tonnes of French hay into the country, and up to 80 more loads are expected over the coming week. It has also sourced hay in Holland which began loading yesterday.

ENDS