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A hardship fund, meal vouchers and the immediate roll-out of low-cost loans promised in Budget 2018 are needed to support farmers suffering from the fodder crisis, according to Fianna Fáil.
The party is bringing forward a motion before the Dáil and the Seanad this evening (17 April) and is seeking cross-party support to pass the motion.
“Our motion also calls on the Government to immediately pay outstanding 2017 balancing payments for GLAS and the Sheep Welfare Scheme to ease the cashflow difficulties that farmers are facing,” Fianna Fáil spokesperson for agriculture, Charlie McConalogue stated.
Cost
McConalogue estimated that it would cost up to €1.5m to fund the meal voucher scheme, but it would provide immediate relief to farmers in dire straits.
He also stated that a hardship fund could be provided through de minimus funding, due to a Department of Agriculture underspend, and it would help to relieve credit issues for farmers facing increased meal costs after the spring.
Listen to "Fianna Fáil motion to ease fodder crisis - Charlie McConalogue TD" on Spreaker.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has introduced a Fodder Import Scheme and eased some GLAS restrictions in response to the fodder crisis, but he was condemned by the assembled Fianna Fáil deputies for “sitting on his hands” as the crisis approached.
McConalogue stated: “We have, from the commencement of the winter, indicated that a meal voucher scheme, if it had been introduced in proper time, could have ensured that fodder supplies that were in the country could have been stretched and made to last longer.”
The minister is scrambling to defend what has been a very indefensible position
Minister Creed has said that to suggest importing fodder earlier in the year would have been rubbished by co-ops as an unnecessary measure.
“I didn’t hear anyone at any stage tell the minister to import fodder back in February or March,"deputy McConalogue stated.
"I think the minister is scrambling to defend what has been a very indefensible position,” adding that meal vouchers had been called for by his party and farm organisations since the beginning of the year.
Deputy Jackie Cahill also highlighted the issue of decreasing milk cheques, as protein and milk collection levels took a hit as a result of poor-quality production.
We will actually be sailing straight into a crisis in 2019
The issue of the mental pressure farmers and their families were under was highlighted as an area of increasing concern by Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Niamh Smyth, who stated: “There has been complete denial on the Government’s side that there is a problem.”
Senator Paul Daly highlighted the fact that many reserves of fodder had been eaten up, and with the prolonged spring careful management of the situation was needed.
Sailing straight into another crisis
“This is actually the beginning of the fodder crisis 2019 if it’s not managed correctly going forward … a lot of farmers have used up their credit with merchants in buying extra feed for fodder that they hadn’t planned on buying, and now they’re not going be in a position to buy fertiliser, etc, to rebuild up the stocks that have been used up during the crisis.
“If we don’t sail smoothly out of this crisis in 2018, we will actually be sailing straight into a crisis in 2019.”
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