The Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has called for a fodder support scheme across all sectors in 2024.
This call comes after what the ICMSA has described as an “exceptionally long and wet winter” which has prolonged housing.
The ICMSA president, Denis Drennan, said that the winter period has placed an enormous mental strain on farmers from a financial and personal perspective.
“We know from communications and contact with our farmer members and the wider industry that cashflow at farm level is extremely tight, and it’s also becoming clear that jobs that would normally be complete at this stage of the year have not even commenced across all farm sectors.
“Farmers are weeks behind in their work schedules and we think that a clear priority at this stage must be to provide guidance and assistance to farmers until animals get to grass and then support them in rebuilding fodder stock for the 24/25 winter”, the ICMSA president said.
With cattle housed in many parts of the country since last September and in most areas since early October, ICMSA has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Charlie McConalogue to “immediately introduce a fodder support scheme for all farmers”.
Fodder Support Scheme
The 2023 Fodder Support Scheme was a continuance of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme and aimed to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers, “to grow more fodder silage and/or hay” in 2023 to ensure Ireland “does not have any animal welfare issues over the winter period”.
Drennan explained that a scheme this year must cover “all farmers” and that last year’s “unfair and unacceptable” exclusion of dairy farmers could not be repeated.
The ICMSA president said: “The minister should immediately announce a fodder support scheme and show that the government recognises the unexpected challenges facing farmers and will support them through this difficult period.
“But it’s just as important that this fodder scheme will not exclude dairy farmers as was the unfair and unacceptable case in the last scheme.
Drennan said dairy, beef, sheep and tillage farmers are all “under pressure” that Minister McConalogue “needs to step up and provide support immediately.
“Neighbours are out there supporting neighbours, we need to see the government adopt the same attitude immediately and show that they actually understand the serious challenges facing farmers,” the ICMSA president said.
Drennan also called for inspections to be “put aside for now” in recognition of the exceptional difficulty weather and ground conditions with which farmers are dealing.