‘No money for fodder support scheme’

There is no money available to subsidise feed purchases, the Department of Agriculture has said, after farm organisations called for supports in light of dwindling fodder stocks on some farms.

Slurry storage, dwindling silage stocks and cashflow are causing farmers huge stress, a meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee heard on Friday, with concerns raised that with more rain forecast for this week, farmers will be put under more pressure.

The meeting heard that less than 10pc of Teagasc farmer clients are out of silage, but this figure could grow in the next week if weather conditions don’t improve, while 49pc of drystock farmers don’t have enough silage for the next three weeks.

However, Louise Byrne, Deputy Chief Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, said that while it was important to acknowledge the concerns raised at the meeting and it is clear farmers are under pressure, she dismissed claims of fodder issues as there is availability of fodder in the country.

“From what I’m hearing today, there isn’t a fodder issue. There are people in different circumstances, but there is an availability of fodder.”

She said there are supports available for farmers if there are animal welfare issues. “There have been a number of calls for supports... the bottom line is there are no supports. There is no money for subsidising feed purchases or for having a fodder support scheme for [20]24 or any other money for that matter in relation to fodder.”

She also said that any delay in inspections would lead to a delay in payments after farm organisations and ICOS called for Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia inspections to be postponed.

“Nevertheless, there are some concerns and I have noted those in relation to the challenge of an inspection and the additional stress of an inspection, and I will relay that,” she said.

Pressure

“Maybe it’s just that we need to be very mindful that if inspections have to be done for regulatory purposes, they are done so bearing in mind the pressure that farmers are under.”

IFA President Francie Gorman said some farmers are “at breaking point” and while there is enough fodder in the country, he said there are issues with individual farms.

He also said cashflow is a “massive issue on farms” and called for a crisis fund to be put in place by the Department and for the co-ops and processors to bring forward a hardship top-up for dairy farmers of 3c/L on March milk, as well as a reduction in feed prices.

ICMSA President Denis Drennan said silage stocks will be “completely decimated” in the next week or two on dairy farms and called for a fodder support scheme to grow more silage next year.

He also called for preparations to be made regarding the possibility of importing fodder or moving it between areas.

“Maybe we need to get the wheels in motion if we need to import or transport [fodder] from various parts of the country to other parts,” he said.