Despite fodder being transported into Ireland from Britain and France, the fodder transport scheme must be extended for as long as it is required as the crisis continues to hit farmers hard.
This is the view of Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson and Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív, who is calling for a dedicated unit to be established to co-ordinate the response and to ensure a similar fodder crisis does not happen again.
“Farmers are still six weeks behind in grass and silage growth which will have a knock-on effect for the rest of the year and even into next year,” said the Connemara based TD. “Fields are still not closed off for silage growth and farmers are continuing to struggle with fodder shortages.”
Dep Ó Cuív is calling on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to put in place longer term plans to ensure “adequate feeds” are available for next year.
Dep Ó Cuív believes the Minister should defer the new rules in stocking density for the Disadvantaged Area Scheme as it will be “extremely difficult for some farmers to meet those requirements due to the adverse weather conditions last summer and throughout the spring”.
