As drought conditions persist, Fianna Fáil deputy Jackie Cahill has proposed a five point plan for the Government to act on.

“Minister Creed has been sleepwalking from one crisis to another in his department over the past 12 months. He seems either ignorant of the challenges or unwilling to do anything about them,” Cahill said.

“However, there are things that can be done to deal with both the immediate challenges and to prepare for the coming winter and spring period.

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“We need flexibility from the Government. The current supply of feed is being used up at an extraordinary rate, and if something isn’t done, animals will suffer and farmers will lose their livelihoods.”

Cahill's five point plan:

  • 1. The Department must incentivise tillage farmers to grow catch crops such as kale and turnips rather than planting more winter cereals. This will deliver more food for animals later in 2018.
  • 2. The extension of deadlines for the spreading of chemical fertilisers and slurry to allow grass to keep growing and for farmers to keep animals out longer.
  • 3. To commence importing and storing fodder from overseas to prepare for winter and spring. Waiting till later in the year will only see farmers paying higher prices.
  • 4. The Minister must seek to open new markets for 18-month plus beef. These animals should be finished off indoors but there is a worry that there won’t be the feed needed.
  • 5. The roll out of the low-cost credit facilities promised by Minister Creed in Budget 2018 this year. Farmers’ cashflow is already under severe pressure, and low-cost credit is critical to helping them survive.

    • Inter-agency group

    Last Thursday, an inter-agency fodder group met to discuss the future fodder situation, with Teagasc estimating a national shortfall of 28% in fodder supplies.

    Farmers are being encouraged to look at other sources of fodder such as wholecrop, but Teagasc has highlighted that the window for wholecrop is quickly closing.

    Minister Michael Creed and his Department are currently monitoring the situation and are expected to draw up a response based on the inter-agency discussion.

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