Feed mills battle to keep ration supplied as fuel shortages bite

Feed mills are battling to keep ration supplied to farmers this Friday, as the blockade of ports and the road network by fuel protesters begins to bite.

Pig and poultry units were being prioritised by struggling feed suppliers, many of whom admitted that they are working on a hand-to-mouth basis to keep mills going.

There are also mounting fears around fuel supplies. Although gardaí have brought in reinforcements to tackle the blockade at Whitegate oil refinery in Cork, close to 15% of the forecourts nationally are out of fuel now and 30% could be out by this evening.

A spokesperson for Grennans in Offaly said the company has had to change the formulations of its rations as a result of supply issues brought about by the fuel price protests.

The firm is also taking trucks from its fertiliser operations and prioritising feed deliveries, the spokesperson added.

“We’re using barley we had in store wherever possible instead of imports,” the spokesperson said.

“Trucks are only getting through about 60% of the work they normally get through in spite of drivers working longer hours,” he admitted.

Grennans is prioritising its pig farmer customers with feed, the firm pointed out.

Director of Brian Grennan Transport John Grennan said that while the company supports the protest and that the people on the roads need to get something from Government, he warned that farmers could be hurt the most by delays in feed and fertiliser deliveries.

Grennan called for a derogation on driving hours for truck drivers on an animal welfare basis to allow the company to deliver feed to farmers.

Tirlán confirmed that its mill is open and working, with a spokesperson insisting that the co-op is “navigating the current challenges”.

Pat Ryan of Liffey Mills said the firm was “doing its best to meet farmer demands for feed”, but he conceded that they were working from “hand to mouth”.

Bretts of Kilkenny and south Tipperary said it was managing to meet farmer requirements “at the moment”.

A concession by the protesters to allow feed trucks move limited supplies from ports has helped stave off an immediate crisis on pig and poultry units.

Irish Farmers' Association sources said the feed requirements on pig and poultry units were currently being met, but they maintained that the situation on some farms was “very tight”.

Fuel supplies

Meanwhile, there are growing fears around fuel supplies.

Industry body Fuels For Ireland said around 250 forecourts, or about 15% of the 1,600 in the country, are currently out of fuel. The organisation warned that this figure could double if fuel trucks can’t get access to supplies held in Foynes and Galway ports and at the Whitegate oil refinery in Cork.

Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartland estimated that 500 forecourts, or one in three of the total number nationally, could be out of fuel by the end of the day if the ports and Whitegate remained blockaded.

He also cautioned that it could take a week to get supplies back to normal even if the blockade was lifted this Friday.

Many forecourts are currently out of fuel in the west, northwest and south.

As a consequence, hauliers are restricting journeys and only willing to take on work which is close to their base.