Continued rainfall over the past week has done nothing to alleviate pressure for fodder on farms. Over 50mm (2in) of rain fell at Johnstown Castle in Wexford from Tuesday 27 March to 2 April, according to Met Éireann. The east of the country was worst hit with rain, but farmers and advisers across the country are reporting fodder shortages.

A forage register has been set up by Teagasc to help source supplies from those with a surplus. Anyone with fodder available is asked to contact their local Teagasc office.

With breeding season around the corner, a look back on figures from 2014 show that the fodder crisis in the spring of 2013 had a serious impact on fertility.

Figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation at the time showed that suckler cow calvings in February and March 2014 were back by up to 25%. Dairy cow calvings by the end of March 2014 were 2.5% behind, despite the fact that this was just 13 months prior to the abolition of quotas.