Shannon takes a cut to aid farmers

Shannon Airport has moved to assist farmers severely affected by the fodder crisis by donating up to 1,000 bales of silage from its 300-acre landbank.

Management at Shannon moved its three-year silage cut forward by two years following a request from the Irish Farmers Association.

The airport agreed to the request, even though the next major grass cutting was not due until 2015. Harvesters moved in at 3pm yesterday and the first bales were ready for distribution just 90 minutes later.

Farmers are in need of urgent supplies of feed following the wettest summer on record, followed by a long, wet winter, resulting in a serious fodder shortage.

Farmers have been forced to pay well over the odds for silage, while others have had to travel to the North to purchase fodder. Some farmers were yesterday offering bales for sale online on sites such as donedeal.ie.

The intervention by Shannon will provide significant relief for farmers, with up to €40,000 worth of silage made available to the IFA for distribution.

Airport authorities are also understood to have made a financial contribution towards the harvesting.

Airport director Mary Considine said: “We weren’t due for a full grass cut here until 2015 but we have brought it forward in response to the IFA request. Everyone is aware of the fodder and farming is hugely important to the region so it was a compelling ask and one we didn’t have to think twice about supporting.

“There will be a decent return from this for the farmers, as some of the grass hasn’t got a full cut for two years.

We are happy to assist, especially if this can help farmers out of the current crisis.”

Clare IFA chairman Andrew Dundas said: “Shannon Airport couldn’t have been more helpful and this will bridge the gap for hundreds of farmers in Clare.

“The farmers who will be getting these silage bales wouldn’t otherwise be able to get their hands on fodder right not, it’s that tight.”