Hill farmers who buy in a lot of their fodder will see “very little benefit” from the €100/ha silage and hay scheme announced last month.

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) president Vincent Roddy said additional supports on schemes to assist farmers with spiralling costs were needed.

“There are some farmers, especially in hill areas, that are not in a position to make hay or silage, and buy in all their fodder supplies,” he said.

Roddy called on the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, to consider top-up payments to existing schemes, such as the Sheep Welfare Scheme, suckler support schemes and the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) as a mechanism to pay farmers, adding that “farmers need support and certainty.”

With top-up payments, farmers will, he said, “have the flexibility to decide how best they can meet their fodder requirements, whether that be silage, hay or meal”.

Moving beyond the immediate concern around hay and silage, Roddy pointed to growing concerns around the price of animal meal.

Additional support will be essential in supporting the overall cattle trade through the autumn, he said.