‘We have to keep going. We can’t stop’ despite poor weather and conditions

The forecast is not looking good for dairy farmer John Mullins, who has had to start using feed from his winter stores for his cattle following the recent spell of bad weather.

Mr Mullins, who has operated a farm in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, with his parents since 2002, said he was getting annoyed with his situation.

“We have had to house our cattle on Sunday. We’ve been grazing them on second cut silage for around two-and-a-half weeks now.

“They are eating what they should be eating in winter. I don’t know what we are going to do then. We are just trying to keep them happy and warm.”

He said the bad weather had caused a number of associated problems.

“Milk yield is down as well, so there will be a big time decrease in what we will be getting paid and there is no way of getting that back.

“Milk prices are a serious problem. The co-operatives and the Government are telling us that global markets are down and I don’t know what they can do to help solve that. It is looking like there will be more cuts too.

“The Government have not been helping, but to be honest, I’m not sure what they have been doing.

“I hope that they would bring forward the single farm payment that Simon Coveney is talking about. Apart from that, I don’t see what else they can do, unless they can change the weather.”

The recent bout of bad weather means that it will be another two weeks before Mr Mullins’s cattle can return to graze without putting his land in danger.

“It’s far too wet to graze now. It will take a long time for the ground to recover from the rain and the weather isn’t likely to improve any time soon.”

Despite his troubles, he said there is nothing he can do except move forward and try to overcome it.

“There are farmers in worse situations than us and although it is costing everywhere we turn, we just have to keep going. We can’t stop,” he said.