Nothing is off the table in Tuesday’s meeting between farm organisations and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to ensure there is enough feed in the country for the coming winter.

An option definitely being considered by the Department of Agriculture, while still at an early stage, is that farmers would plant crops for their own feed use, the Irish Farmers Journal can confirm.

It is understood the minister and his officials are likely to discuss the options around schemes for farmers to maximise grass growth, soil fertility and silage with farm organisations.

These schemes are likely to be funded by the European Commission through its market support measures, which are being finalised in Brussels.

Such supports will be aimed at lessening the impact that EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus will have on EU farmers, as well as easing the effects on the supply of inputs resulting from the cessation of shipping along Black Sea routes.

Meeting the minister

The main farm organisations in the country are set to meet with the Minister on Tuesday to discuss the impact that recent supply chain disruptions are having on farmers.

“I have asked members of the main farming bodies to attend a meeting in my Department on Tuesday to assess the situation and how we can work closely and collaboratively in the time ahead,” Minister McConalogue said when announcing the meeting.

“At times like these, food is our most important resource so, as a Department, we are taking every possible proactive step to ensure that we are agile and can respond to this rapidly evolving situation,” he stated.

The minister reiterated on Saturday that the European Commission had stated its intention to make emergency funding available to farmers if needed.

IFA response

The IFA has responded to the reports that these emergency measures are being discussed within the Department by emphasising the need for policymakers to consult farmers on the proposals and that the focus must remain on lowering input costs.

The organisation’s president Tim Cullinan questioned the efficiency with which resources will be used, should the Department move forward with plans to ask non-tillage farmers to grow crops in 2022.

“We are in very challenging times and farmers will certainly play our part in any national or European effort,” stated Cullinan on Sunday.

“However, it is far from certain that asking all farmers to plant crops is the best use of the resources that are likely to be available to us.

“The biggest issue facing farmers is the rocketing cost and availability of inputs. This is where the Government needs to focus their efforts, as well as looking at some of their own regulations,” he said.

The emergency

The IFA president went on to state that the agri-food sector is “very different” from the last time that some of these emergency measures were enacted around the Second World War.

“It would be very unwise of the Government to make any decisions on this before engaging fully with farmers.

“Irish farming is very different than it was in the 1940s. What was done then may not be the solution today,” he said.