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The ICSA has called on the Government to introduce a transport subsidy to cover fodder haulage costs to avert a potentially serious fodder crisis in the west and northwest.
“The time for action is now, before the situation escalates into a full blown crisis,” Flanagan said in support of the ICSA suggestion.
“The proposals being put forward by the ICSA are credible and workable. Hay and straw have been sourced in the southeast of the country. It is a great credit to the farmers involved that they are willing to sell it at realistic prices, not taking advantage of the current situation and asking inflated prices. However, when the cost of haulage is added to this it brings it to a prohibitive price for the farmers to purchase in the northwest”.
As a result of the poor weather conditions in the second half of 2017, many farmers in the north and northwest will face a fodder crisis in early-2018. This is because silage crops designated for winter feed could not be harvested. Cattle were also housed much earlier than normal, putting additional pressure on already depleted supplies.
A recent survey of 400 farmers by Teagasc indicates that 85% of farmers in the region are short of fodder. The problems are most severe in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, where two-thirds of farmers have only half the fodder they need for the winter.
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