The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has emphasised that grass is the most important crop grown in Ireland.
The group was reacting to the welcome given by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, to the EU Commission’s agri-food response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The minister praised the approach adopted by the commission to “tremendously difficult circumstances”.
McConalogue noted the package of measures including exceptional aid, private storage aid for pigmeat, greening flexibilities, increased advances of direct payments and a new temporary state aid framework.
“The commission’s communication on the need to safeguard food security and reinforce the resilience of food systems strikes the right balance between the need to guarantee food security from both a European and global perspective, and the need to ensure the long-term resilience and sustainability of food systems,” the minister outlined.
During the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg on Friday (April 8), the minister highlighted Ireland’s ongoing concerns in relation to the cost and availability of energy, feed and fertiliser.
Grass
The ICMSA president stated that everyone has to “on guard against complacency and a feeling that the immediate dangers had passed”.
Pat McCormack said that it was notable that among the EU actions listed by Minister McConalogue, there was no mention anywhere of grass.
“ICMSA shouldn’t have to point out this very obvious fact, but Ireland’s most important crop in this year – and every year – is grass because that’s what keeps our multi-billion euro dairy and beef sectors going in the first place.
“The minister has been talking about putting in place supports for grassland farmers for the best part of a month. When are we going to see them?
“Fertiliser has more than trebled and the cost of getting the silage we absolutely need for the backend of 2022 and Q1 [quarter one] of next year has increased proportionately.
“I’m very conscious of the need for solidarity with the people of Ukraine and we will all help in any way we can, but I think it might be a little premature on the part of the government to welcome these measures in a way and tone that seems to signal that we’re through the worst challenge, because we most certainly are not,” McCormack concluded.