IFA warns of looming fodder crisis as rain worsens farm income losses

THE wet weather is adding to the severe income loss being suffered by farm families this year as a result of the collapse in market prices, especially for milk and grain, the Irish Farmers’ Association declared yesterday.

Its president Padraig Walshe said losses are running into hundreds of millions of euro. The income of dairy farmers has been wiped out by the market conditions and the poor weather is adding to the costs of production, such as extra feed.

“The combination of a drop in volume because of the weather and market- related price cuts means the dairy sector is facing total output losses of €550 million this year.