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The first of several thousand tonnes of fodder to be imported from the UK to Ireland arrived in Rosslare, Co Wexford on Thursday morning at 6am.
Eight lorries commissioned by Dairygold Co-op disembarked the Irish Ferries boat and moved in convoy to New Ross.
The @NolanTransport trucks with fodder from the UK for @DairygoldCo_Op members have arrived at the depot in New Ross pic.twitter.com/ad4jqjtCM1
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) April 5, 2018
There, the curtain-sided trucks’ load of hay and haylage are to be checked before moving onwards to counties Cork and Clare.
Each lorry carries approximately 20t of fodder or 28 bales measuring approximately 8x4x3.
Delivered
The fodder will be delivered to Donaghmore, Farnanes, Macroom, Mitchelstown and Ardagh in Co Cork and Newmarket in Co Clare, the Irish Farmers Journal understands.
The eight trucks are the first of up to 120 truckloads commissioned by Dairygold from Nolan Transport to collect fodder across the UK, move it across the Irish Sea and deliver to farmers in need across Dairygold’s Munster base.
At Rosslare Port this morning where the first of 2,500 tonnes of hay and haulage has landed to be distributed to our Members. pic.twitter.com/bAfQhc7uEN
— Dairygold Co-Op (@DairygoldCo_Op) April 5, 2018
Speaking on Thursday's Morning Ireland, Seamus O' Mahony Dairygold's agri head of sales said that the co-op had "an existing supply route from 2013" and that there was "a couple of people in the UK sourcing more should Dairygold need it."
He also spoke about the ever changing nature of the crisis by saying it is an "evolving situation, maybe two weeks ago you would like to have thought people would have got through it but we had to act".
He also went on to say that Dairygold have had "provisional feedback from the department saying there will be support for farmers importing fodder"
When asked on the cost to the farming sector of the crisis O'Mahony couldn't provide an exact figure but he said in 2013 Ireland imported 10,000- 11,000 tonnes of fodder and said this time it would be between half to two thirds of that.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Dairygold’s member relations manager Gerry O’Sullivan, said the fodder would be made available to farmers at cost.
That will be around €90 per big square bale, equivalent to €30 per 4x4 round bale.
Glanbia, Kerry and Lakeland are also importing fodder for their farmers.
Listen: Minister Creed pledges to provide funds for fodder imports
Co-ops import fodder, minister pledges support
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