Fodder Support Scheme before Cabinet

The Department of Agriculture have confirmed that a memo has now gone to Cabinet for the proposal of a Fodder Support Scheme, with the aim of the scheme to encourage farmers to grow more grass and conserve as much silage and hay during 2022.

The scheme is being undertaken to prevent a fodder crisis during the coming winter, and the impact that that would have for animal welfare. To compound matters, the department also point out that the situation in Ukraine means that importing more grain or fodder from the continent in the event of a crisis will not be a viable alternative for the foreseeable future.

It is understood that livestock farmers will be able to avail of up to €1,000 under the scheme, to be parcelled out in a payment of €100/ha for all silage cut up to a maximum of 10ha. However, at this point the scheme is not open to dairy farmers. This decision was based on Teagasc research for the National Fodder and Food Security Committee that showed ‘the real fodder challenge’ exists for small and medium-sized beef and sheep farms.

SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASE

Last week Minister Martin Heydon said that the approach was about ‘targeted measures’, and not a case of spreading a little bit of money over a wide area.

Research by Teagasc has identified that the cost of producing pit silage in 2022 will increase by about 31%, from €517 per hectare to €680 per hectare. They also predict that the cost of bale silage is likely to increase from €24 per bale to €32 per bale.

The invasion by Russia of Ukraine in February has resulted in a significant increase in the cost of agricultural inputs, in particular energy and chemical fertiliser which are two of the most important components in the production of fodder for wintering livestock.