Farmers look to Government for guide on crops for energy

FARMERS have appealed for government guidance on their possible role in finding alternative sources of energy, as international oil prices continue at levels nearly 2½ times the average of the past 20 years.

It's time the Government got down to defining the best way forward in providing an alternative to fossil fuels, said Simon White, Askeaton, in a recent Limerick IFA discussion of the fuel price spike.

He said the cost of fuel is becoming a crucial issue for farmers, and IFA too should be examining closely the opportunities for farmers to devote some of their land to growing crops for energy and fuel, now that it is becoming possible to produce oil from farm crops cheaper than imported supplies.