Farmer Mattie White from Wexford has called on the public and the Minister for Agriculture to take note of the fodder crisis affecting farms across the country.

In a moving social media post, White explains he’s been forced to let stock out on saturated land due to a severe shortage of fodder.

“I have very little feed left. I’ve managed to get a few bales from a few good neighbours,” White said.

“Personally, I feel that we’ve been very badly let down, by both the Minister for Agriculture and by our Government ... and I’m putting this up as an appeal.”

Mentally I cannot go on much longer

He adds that recently farmers across his parish and the in every parish across Ireland helped to clear roads of snow during Storm Emma, and now it’s time for the public to take help farmers in their hour of need.

“I don’t get a monthly cheque or a weekly salary or a weekly wage. I’m lucky in the sense that I have a good wife, a strong woman, and a good daughter who have stood by me in tough times and I’m asking people to share this at the end of the day because personally, mentally I cannot go on much longer,” White stated.

My cows have never ever been as thin in all my memory

“In a week’s time or 10 days, I am going to have to put out more stock and the problem is I have no grass. I’ve put out fertiliser but I have no grass.

“This is the reality of what we’re looking at today. These cows are falling nearly to hunger and my cows have never ever been as thin in all my memory.”

Contact details for the Samaritans

  • Call, freephone: 116 123.
  • Text: (087) 260 90 90 (standard text rates apply).
  • Email: jo@samaritans.ie
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