The Minister for Agriculture “has failed to grasp the severity of the issues farms are facing” due to the long lot summer, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said.
Speaking after meeting Martin Heydon and other farm bodies to discuss a potential fodder crisis this winter due to a lack of rain during the summer growing season, IFA leader Francie Gorman said “immediate action” was needed.
Gorman said this needed to be led by Heydon and should include “support for sectors impacted in the short-term, in addition to a practical and effective fodder crisis plan”.
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According to farm advisory body Teagasc, 39 per cent of farmers surveyed in the last week estimate they are facing a fodder shortage of 10 per cent or more in advance of the coming winter. Gorman said this “confirms our fears as to the size of the fodder challenge facing us” and that there is “also a huge cash flow crisis” looming on many farms.
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He said the horticulture and tillage sectors are “staring down the barrel of poor harvest yields, compounded by low market returns and rising cost of production”.
After the meeting, Heydon said it was “a stressful time for farmers, particularly in the east and south of the country, the regions most impacted by the current prolonged dry spell”.
He said it was “important that farmers take appropriate action to ensure sufficient fodder stocks for the coming winter”.
He said he had asked chairman of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee Mike Magan to convene a meeting of the committee soon.
“The current situation is adding costs on affected farms and I would encourage farmers to engage with their banks, merchants, and co-ops on any cash flow concerns”, he said.
He also said the call from farm organisations for additional support “will be considered when the full picture is available and in the context of Budget 2027″.
The Science Media Centre All Ireland said the island is experiencing its driest conditions in years, with grass growth this summer running at just 10-20 per cent of normal levels in the east and south, and 50-75 per cent in the southwest.
