Mass goers asked to pray for sunshine

The Bishop of Ferns has asked Mass goers in his diocese to pray for fine weather for farmers this month.

In making the appeal, Dr Denis Brennan said he was conscious of the difficulties being faced by many involved in the agriculture industry.

“This current spell of very bad weather is causing added pain and anxiety to people already under pressure and it constitutes a real threat to the livelihoods and well-being of many in rural areas,” he said.

A special prayer will be said at all Masses in the diocese during September, he added.

Met Éireann confirmed yesterday that this year's summer was a washout, with every single weather station in the country recording rainfall levels above normal. Valentia in Co Kerry experienced twice the average rainfall during June, July and August.

An average Irish summer has between 32 and 38 wet days, the summer of 2009 had an average of between 43 and 52 wet days.

Despite the seemingly incessant rain, it was actually an average or above average summer, with temperature and sunshine levels above normal.

The Irish Farmers Association warned last month that grain production in the State is in doubt following two poor harvests with low financial returns.

Colum McDonnell, an extensive grain producer and chairman of the national grain committee of the Irish Farmers’ Association, estimated up to 50,000 hectares of land are no longer in grain production after last year’s harvest.

He said crop returns for two years running will fall significantly below the cost of production and most growers will lose between €40-€50 a tonne of grain based on the price of between €90-€100 per tonne they are being offered.

“These levels of losses are not sustainable,” Mr McDonnell said. “Grain prices are always on the floor this time of the year as harvest pressure peaks across Europe and traders move to offload surplus stocks at fire sale prices. Once the harvest is complete and surplus stocks are moved, the trade pulls back from selling and prices invariably rise.”