Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has said she expects “at least 70,000 applications” in the event of a new fodder support scheme being rolled out.
There have been renewed calls for supports for farmers that are experiencing fodder shortages during challenging weather conditions.
Deputy Nolan has said that “no one needs to highlight just how bad the situation now is in terms of the savage threat to fodder supplies that are impacting tens of thousands of farms right across the country.
“I know from my previous engagement on this issue with Minister McConalogue that over 70,000 farmers across the country applied to join the Fodder Support Scheme in 2022.
“It is very likely we will see a number in excess of that this time around,” Deputy Nolan added.
With Deputy Nolan estimating that a new scheme would “likely see at least 70,000 applications before it is closed”, she added that it “clearly points to the gravity and the scale of the problem”.
“I would also hope, in light of this, that the €56m budget for the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme would be exceeded,” Deputy Nolan added.
The Laois-Offaly TD spoke ahead of a meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) tomorrow (Tuesday, April 9).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said: “I am working with stakeholders through the NFFSC, who will assess the most up to date situation at their next meeting this coming Tuesday.
“This meeting will also receive an updated position from Teagasc on the situation around the country,” he said.
Fodder scheme
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently examining a scheme to facilitate the long-distance movement of fodder.
As the wet weather persists, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has asked his officials to work on a scheme similar to 2018 which brought fodder to farmers in need.
It is understood that a new scheme, which will be rolled out by the department if needed, could also involve co-ops around the country.
The minister said that he is “acutely aware of the pressure farmers are under right now”.
“I have already mobilised Teagasc to provide advice and assistance through its local services, and I know that co-ops will also be doing everything they can to support their suppliers.
“I have also asked my department to explore the operationalising of a scheme to support long distance fodder movements on the island of Ireland, along the lines of that which operated in 2018, should that prove necessary,” he added.