Lack of funds at farm level is a major concern as a winter fodder shortage now looks inevitable. This was the overwhelming sentiment at the agriculture committee this Tuesday, 4 September, where Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed publicly addressed the committee for the first time since the Dáil recess.

Minister Creed sympathised with farmers and outlined how it had been “a very challenging year for farmers including the mental challenge”.

However, deputies in attendance, particularly Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue and Jackie Cahill, expressed their disappointment that the committee had not been convened earlier, despite requests to do so.

Minister Creed told the committee that almost 40,000t of fodder had already been identified or imported into the country, mainly alfalfa coming from Spain, Italy and France, with over 80,000t expected to be imported in total.

Dairygold expects its first alfalfa import shortly, a spokesperson confirmed.

As many farmers continue feeding at winter levels and bills mount, McConalogue called for a hardship fund to assist farmers.

Banks reported that there was some concern as winter finishers considered selling fodder rather than finishing cattle. There had been some requests for stocking loan extensions but no major increase in overdraft facilities.

Labour deputy Willie Penrose gave a searing indictment of the banks for their overdraft interest rates, with 8.05%, 7.85% and 8.45% charged by Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank, respectively.

While the banks insisted that overdraft use was just for short-term use, Penrose stated: “Would you not start and be decent and reduce interest rates to 4% or 5%?”

There was also no indication of when low-cost loans for farmers would be introduced, with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland stating that talks with banks were still at “early stages”.

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