Climate change causing ‘income insecurity’

THE long-awaited dry spell has provided relief for famers across the county, allowing them to plant crops and access previously waterlogged land. However, the prolonged rainfall which beset the nation is set to be repeated in the months and years ahead causing untold issues for the agriculture sector.

Green Party candidate for the Enniscorthy district Brendan Cahill Flynn lives in Bree and has seen first-hand the devastating impact of the wet weather.

“The land is beyond saturated at this point, nearly all of my neighbours have ponds, and what will soon be lakes, on their farms, in front of their houses, and bordering the roads around them,” he said.

“Our farmers have been unable to access their land properly, unable to let cattle graze, and many have been unable to plant their crops, especially potatoes.

“It’s no secret that the past few years in Ireland have broken many records not just for heat, but for rainfall as well. We see the effects of climate change around us; the rivers are flooding, the winters are getting longer, the land is waterlogged, and the roads and beaches are eroding away.

Urging the public to support the farmers by buying locally-sourced products, Mr Cahill Flynn said climate change will alter the way farms operate if it continues in this vein.

“This flooding comes at a terrible time, given the array of challenges currently faced. Farmers are under serious pressure to keep their livestock fed, and the strain of the income insecurity cannot be understated, given market conditions. Recently, we arranged a public meeting with several groups, including the IFA and Green MEP Grace O’Sullivan, and another issue raised was the calendar-based rules around slurry spreading.

“Given the more unpredictable nature of rainfall these days, and the lengthening of our winters, I think it stands to reason that a more practical system (for slurry-spreading) could be arranged. Farmers say the current system prioritises calendar-dates as opposed to weather conditions, and I would be really interested to hear of plans that could strike a balance between protecting our waterways, as the rules intend, with the practicalities of weather conditions for those who steward the land.”

IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE PAST FEW YEARSIN IRELAND HAVE BROKEN RECORDS, NOT JUST FOR HEAT BUT FOR RAINFALL TOO