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The need to deliver a scheme for farmers facing a shortage of fodder was the main focus at the IFA meeting on Friday night.
It’s 30 years since we had a proper drainage scheme
Farmers from the floor spoke of the need to deliver a scheme after a summer of heavy and persistent rain which has seen stock housed since August and September and fodder stocks depleting.
The chair of the meeting, IFA Connacht chair Padraic Joyce, told the some 500 people in attendance that the IFA will meet Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed on Tuesday 5 December where they will push for a fodder scheme as well as a €200/cow suckler support.
Forestry impact on rural Ireland
Chair of Aurivo Co-op Pat Duffy, who also farms on heavy land in south Leitrim, spoke of the need to protect farmers or face the consequences.
Duffy said the growth of private companies buying land for planting in counties like his own means that farmers are “being squeezed out of existence”.
“A company, a multi-national, can get all the grand aid in the world to plant trees, put in roadways and fences but a dairy, beef or sheep farmer cannot get one penny to improve or drain their land…it’s 30 years since we had a proper drainage scheme,” Duffy said.
“Trees will not fill school or trees will not fill football teams.”
Duffy added that the co-op has been working with farmers to help them through the fodder shortage.
“We got a sense that things would be bad in August. We imported 57 loads of fodder from the UK in 2013 (as a result of the fodder crisis) but that’s a last resort. We want to help farmers earlier to head off any crisis that might develop.”
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