Wet weather deepening crisis at farm level – poor conditions set to continue
IFA President Francie Gorman said there is a deepening crisis on farms due to the ongoing wet weather. While all sectors are suffering, the tillage sector is at breaking point as farmers are not able to plant their crops while another farming organisation, the ICMSA, is calling for a fodder support scheme, such is the strain the weather has put farmers under since September last year.
“It is stated Government policy to increase the amount of tillage in the country, but instead it is contracting. The Government must come forward with urgent supports to keep tillage farmers in business. If the Government doesn’t act now, lasting damage will be done,” he said.
“Tillage had a horrendous time since last autumn and incurred big losses in the last harvest.
“The ongoing weather conditions have delayed planting and sowing. The situation arising from
Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine is causing huge uncertainty in grain markets leaving farmers in a precarious position,” he said.
“I have raised this directly with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture. I have made it clear to them that Government intervention is critical, and it cannot be delayed,” he said.
The IFA president said the ongoing weather conditions are placing all farmers under serious pressure and adding to stress levels for families.
“Farmers are under huge pressure at present. It is hugely difficult to get into our fields to plant crops or graze our animals. This is putting extra costs into the system and leading to a much heavier workload. We need Government, input suppliers, processors and banks to do all they can to support farmers in the coming days and weeks,” he said.
IFA deputy president Alice Doyle said that the level of rainfall “has made it impossible to move livestock; planting and sowing is way behind; and bills are mounting as farmers struggle to keep on top of their work”.
St Patrick’s Day is seen as a turning point in the farming calendar, but ground is saturated due to wet conditions that stretch back to the middle of last year, Ms Doyle said.
She has appealed to everybody in the sector who interacts with farmers to take this into account and to give whatever support they can.
“For the Department of Agriculture, it could mean stepping down inspections for the moment and also redoubling their efforts to ensure the timely payment of funds from farm schemes. Any change to terms and conditions that allows maximum flexibility should also be considered,” Ms Doyle continued.
Processors and banks also have a role to play, she said.
“Every cent that’s in the marketplace has to make its way back to farmers.
Banks should apply leniency for anybody who’s battling to meet repayments,” Ms Doyle added.
ICMSA ALSO CONCERNED
With cattle housed in many parts of the country since last September and in most areas since early October, ICMSA has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine to immediately introduce a Fodder Support Scheme for all farmers 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.
The 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. 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. 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 24/25 winter”, said the ICMSA President.
Pointing out that the Minister had a fodder scheme in place in 2022 and 2023 and that it was 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. 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. Whether you’re a dairy farmer, beef farmer, sheep farmer or tillage farmer, all are under pressure and the Minister needs to step up and provide support 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,” Mr Drennan said.
WEATHER
COLDER
Meanwhile, weather conditions are not looking to improve in the
TO
TURN next number of days. Met Éireann in their latest farming commentary confirm the wettest conditions were in the northwest, Connacht, Munster and the north midlands were wetter than normal with rainfall amounts between 124% and 178% of average.
Rainfall amounts elsewhere were normal or below average, ranging between 57% and 100% of normal.
The wettest conditions were seen in the northwest with 35.3mm of rainfall recorded at Belmullet Co Mayo.
It was drier in the east with 8mm recorded at Casement Aerodrome, Co. Dublin. The week ahead will be unsettled with frequent rain and showers. It will be wetter than average across the country, with rainfall amounts generally ranging between 1 and 2.2 times the normal.
Mean air temperatures over the past seven days were near to or slightly above normal countrywide, ranging from 7.2 to 9 degrees, which is between 0.5 and 1.2 degrees above average.
Mean soil temperatures ranged from 7.7 to 10 degrees, which is between 1.8 and 3.7 degrees above average. It will turn colder over the coming week with mean air temperatures falling to between 6 and 8 degrees, which is around normal or 1 degrees below. Soil temperatures will decrease somewhat but will still be slightly above average.
Sunshine amounts over the last week have been around average or slightly below across the country, ranging between 91% and 108% of average. It was sunniest in the west with 26.7 hours of sunshine recorded at Shannon Airport. Slightly duller in the east with 19.8 hours of sunshine recorded at Casement Aerodrome, Co. Dublin. Due to unsettled conditions over the coming week, sunshine amounts will likely be below average.
Drying conditions will continue to be generally moderate or poor this week as any dry spells will be short lived.
Opportunities for spraying will be limited this week due to frequently blustery and wet conditions. All soils are currently saturated and poorly drained soils are waterlogged.
With further rainfall and often poor drying over the coming week, soil conditions will remain similar.