Minister urged to provide fodder support scheme immediately
"Neighbours are out there supporting neighbours, we need to see the Government adopt the same attitude immediately and show that they actually understand the serious challenges facing farmers."
Farmers are urging Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to introduce a fodder support scheme immediately.
With cattle housed in many parts of the country since last September and in most areas since early October, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said that action is needed to address what has been an "exceptionally long and wet winter period necessitating prolonged housing and the obvious need to replenish stocks as the year progresses".
ICMSA president Denis Drennan said that the winter period has placed an "enormous mental strain on farmers from a financial and personal perspective and farmers were doing their utmost to manage their way through an extremely difficult spring".
Regulators need to recognise this, he said, and acknowledge the real and difficult challenges currently facing farmers and act accordingly.Â
Mr Drennan also called for inspections to be "put aside" for now in recognition of the exceptional difficulty weather and ground conditions with which farmers are dealing.
“We know from communications and contact with our farmer members and the wider industry that cashflow at farm level is extremely tight, and it’s also becoming clear that jobs that would normally be complete at this stage of the year have not even commenced across all farm sectors," Mr Drennan said.
"Farmers are weeks behind in their work schedules and we think that a clear priority at this stage must be to provide guidance and assistance to farmers until animals get to grass and then support them in rebuilding fodder stock for the 2024/2025 winter."
Pointing out that the minister had a fodder scheme in place in 2022 and 2023 and that it is "already obvious" that 2024 would require another fodder scheme, Mr Drennan stressed that this year’s scheme must cover all farmers and that last year’s "unfair and unacceptable exclusion of dairy farmers could absolutely not be repeated".
“The minister should immediately announce a fodder support scheme and show that the Government recognises the unexpected challenges facing farmers and will support them through this difficult period," Mr Drennan said.
"But it’s just as important that this fodder scheme will not exclude dairy farmers as was the unfair and unacceptable case in the last scheme.Â
"Neighbours are out there supporting neighbours, we need to see the Government adopt the same attitude immediately and show that they actually understand the serious challenges facing farmers."
Macra is urging the minister to reconvene the National Fodder and Food Security Committee to address the challenges faced by farmers around immediate and future fodder security at farm level.
“It is crucial that this committee meet as soon as possible, and I have written to the minister to this effect," Macra president Elaine Houlihan said.
"Farmers are facing difficult decisions in the coming days regarding fodder supplies, grassland management, future fodder stocks and cereal planting.
"Weather conditions remain challenging, and farmers need support and advice around future fodder decisions at farm level."
