IFA president Joe Healy on Monday described as “alarming” the results of a survey of Teagasc clients on harvest, livestock housing and slurry spreading. “The findings underlined the IFA’s case to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed for a fodder scheme, a crisis fund for tillage growers and flexibility on slurry spreading as part of the

The Teagasc report adds that “winter feed is likely to be an issue on many farms” and “poor ground conditions also mean that farmers have been unable to spread slurry”.

On the tillage front, nearly 4,500ha of crops remain to be harvested on 371 farms, mostly in Donegal and west Cork. For those, Teagasc estimates that yields will be reduced by 1t to 2t/ha.

Healy called on the Department of Agriculture to “treat farmers fairly this winter and ensure that no farmer endures a Basic Payment Scheme penalty if they need to take necessary manure management steps during the winter due to animal welfare concerns”.

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