Farmers prepare for more rainfall

FARM families, already suffering from falling incomes and a shortage of fodder for their livestock, were bracing themselves last night for more heavy rain and high winds over the weekend.

Thousands of acres are flooded across the country, farm yards and dwelling houses are saturated and access roads closed after swollen rivers burst their banks.

Farmers are struggling to get feed to stranded livestock due to vast tracks of farm land being under water after the downpours of recent days.

While the weather improved yesterday, access to out-farms, where cattle are being wintered, is also posing problems because of flooding on minor roads and waterlogged land.

Sheep in low-lying valleys have been moved to the safety of higher ground to ensure they would not be swept away in the flow of flood water and arrangements have been made to have them supplied with feed.

There are growing concerns that even larger areas of land will be affected with conditions expected to deteriorate again over the next few days.

IFA Connacht vice-president Michael Silke said the flooding was going to add further to a severe income and fodder crisis for farm families.

“Farmers have had to move cattle off land that is flooded and use up scarce winter fodder. The difficult weather during the summer had already left many farmers with insufficient fodder. They will now be forced to buy in extra feed, pushing up their costs,” he said.

Mr Silke said the state needs to urgently introduce a national flood management plan, which includes the environmental management of rivers and streams.

“These have been neglected and ignored for years. In addition to this the Office of Public Works must commence the River Shannon management programme,” he said.