Fodder crisis a disaster for Irish agriculture, MEP tells commission

Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly has asked the European Commission to look favourably upon any request from the Government for emergency assistance, as animal feed shortages reach crisis levels.

He told European regional policy commissioner, Johannes Hahn, that farmers are struggling to cope with the most severe winter in over 50 years in Ireland.

“The scale of the fodder crisis on farms has not been seen in living memory. Irish agriculture is facing its most serious difficulties in half a century, with Irish farmers being unable to feed their animals, as their own stores have been exhausted. The crisis has become a disaster for Irish agriculture.”

Mr Kelly, the only Irish MEP on the commission’s regional committee, said farmers had reached their credit limits, and are being denied credit from financial institutions.

Meanwhile, IFA president John Bryan wants Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to extend the fodder aid subsidy by at least another two weeks beyond its closing date of Friday, May 3. Slow grass growth is expected again this week.

The IFA also wants the subsidy extended to private merchants and co-op marts, which are importing feed to assist farmers. IFA delegates are in the UK and France seeking more sources of forage, in the event of the crisis continuing well into May.

Mr Bryan said: “IFA has established supply links from the UK, which have already sourced 5,000 tonnes of feed. This will be delivered into the country and distributed by co-ops, marts and merchants this week.”

Deliveries of fodder will continue to arrive into most co-ops, as well as into private merchants and co-op marts, in the coming days.