Deputy Michael Healy Rae TD is urgently calling on the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to introduce several financial packages for farmers to tackle what he has called a “severe feeding deficit” for farmers leading to one of the worst fodder crisis in living memory.
“With the continuous and persistent rain fall, which has lasted almost a year, Farmers have been forced to keep livestock in for longer which has forced an increasing financial strain on them.
“We are well beyond predicting a ‘fodder crisis’ as we are well and truly in the middle of one, with most soils beyond saturation point with land simply waterlogged and not trafficable for man, machine or beast. Cattle have been in sheds now since last September as with the tillage sector at breaking point as most farmers are not able to plant crops,” the Kerry TD ommented.
Some farmers have already contacted the Independent Deputy saying that they need financial support to simply afford bales as they have already run out.
“With the current increasing costs of production and the ever-decreasing income from farming, many farmers have now been forced to borrow even further which is a cause of concern for their long-term futures. The ongoing weather has impacted on planting and sowing as well, and this will have a knock-on effect later in the year and its impact will not be fully seen until next year.”
“This is why the Minister needs to act now,” Deputy Healy Rae TD added.
He said the Minister for Agriculture needed to get behind the farm organisations and ensure that he leads from the front in this national crisis as time is of the essence with the introduction of several financial packages.