The heads of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) have given what has been called a "state of the farming nation" address in response to the hardships faced by farmers over the last 12 months.

Speaking on RTE’s Countrywide programme, Joe Healy (IFA), Patrick Kent (ICSA) and Pat McCormack (ICMSA) highlighted the challenges farmers have faced.

Seriousness

All three emphasised the seriousness of the situation in the south and southeast, with Kent saying "any stocks left from last winter are gone and there’s only 60% of normal first cut quantities".

McCormack added that southeast of Tullamore there was a shortage of 40 to 45% and that second cuts had already been utilised in many places.

Healy stressed there was "no one single answer" to the fodder shortage and welcomed actions taken by the Government on catch crops, fertiliser and slurry deadlines and fodder imports.

He did, however, reissue calls for the immediate introduction of the loan scheme promised to farmers in last year’s budget.

Myths

He took the opportunity to dispel what he said were myths about Ireland being over-stocked. He was responding to one listener who texted the show to say farmers’ problems were not only due to the weather but also to overstocking.

Healy said: “We have 400,000 less animals in the country than we had in 1998. It’s a myth and it’s good to get the chance to knock it on the head.”

McCormack also drew attention to the impact the summer had on farmers' well-being, saying they were mentally and physically fatigued. “The degree of anxiety, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

Commitment

Kent questioned the commitment to farming in the country. While he welcomed the fodder import scheme of €4.25m, he said it was put in context by the €340m package put in place by the German government to aid their farmers coping with drought.

He said: “I’m not sure if we're fully committed to farmers. We’re asking them to produce more with less and that is coming to a head now.”

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