Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue needs to “act quickly” to support farmers who’ve been hit with flooding following this week’s heavy rain, according to the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that the Minister must support the many farm families whose homes, lands or farmyards have been affected by the “unprecedented deluge of rainfall that has hit many parts of the south and southwest in recent days”.
“The Minister needs to act quickly to ease the emotional and financial strain on impacted farm families. This is the last thing farmers needed this year.
“Many have already been stretched due to delayed farm payments and falling output prices. They are facing significant added expense as a result of the recent flooding,” he said.
Pressures
Cullinan said that farmers are facing increased operational pressures to rehouse stock in drier locations and that that they are also dealing with fodder stocks under water or destroyed.
He added that there is land in affected areas which had been sown for cereals where the crop has been washed away.
Farmers hit with flooding in recent days need support from the Minister for Agriculture, said the IFA. \ Philip Doyle
The IFA president also appealed to the banks to take a flexible and understanding approach as farmers grapple with very difficult conditions.
“The forecast into the weekend and early next week is mixed, with more rain to fall in areas that are already saturated. This will only add to the pressure that farmers are experiencing as they work to keep their livestock safe,” he said.
End to harvest
Cullinan pointed out that the floods and heavy rainfall have also “effectively put an end to the salvage effort that was harvest 2023”.
“There will be crops around the country that simply won’t be harvested this year. What has been collected has largely been of lower quality and yields in many parts, meaning little or no returns for cereal growers. Increased targeted interventions are needed,” he insisted.
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Cork floods: ‘we had to get stock out of the fields in a hurry’
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue needs to “act quickly” to support farmers who’ve been hit with flooding following this week’s heavy rain, according to the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that the Minister must support the many farm families whose homes, lands or farmyards have been affected by the “unprecedented deluge of rainfall that has hit many parts of the south and southwest in recent days”.
“The Minister needs to act quickly to ease the emotional and financial strain on impacted farm families. This is the last thing farmers needed this year.
“Many have already been stretched due to delayed farm payments and falling output prices. They are facing significant added expense as a result of the recent flooding,” he said.
Pressures
Cullinan said that farmers are facing increased operational pressures to rehouse stock in drier locations and that that they are also dealing with fodder stocks under water or destroyed.
He added that there is land in affected areas which had been sown for cereals where the crop has been washed away.
Farmers hit with flooding in recent days need support from the Minister for Agriculture, said the IFA. \ Philip Doyle
The IFA president also appealed to the banks to take a flexible and understanding approach as farmers grapple with very difficult conditions.
“The forecast into the weekend and early next week is mixed, with more rain to fall in areas that are already saturated. This will only add to the pressure that farmers are experiencing as they work to keep their livestock safe,” he said.
End to harvest
Cullinan pointed out that the floods and heavy rainfall have also “effectively put an end to the salvage effort that was harvest 2023”.
“There will be crops around the country that simply won’t be harvested this year. What has been collected has largely been of lower quality and yields in many parts, meaning little or no returns for cereal growers. Increased targeted interventions are needed,” he insisted.
Read more
Cork floods: ‘we had to get stock out of the fields in a hurry’
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