Fodder supports that will inject money into farm accounts must be put in place, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) rural development chair John Curran has said.
He said that while it makes sense to encourage farmers to complete fodder budgets and act early, farmers need financial help.
“Cash reserves have been run down quicker than fodder reserves. September can be a cash-hungry month, with children returning to school and college. Meaningful financial supports will be key in the short term to help struggling farm families,” he stated.
The supports Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon announced last week won’t be nearly enough to mitigate the growing on-farm challenges, according to the rural development chair.
Payments
He called on Minister Heydon to “get the allocated funding from the EU fertiliser strategy (with maximum co-financing) into farmers’ pockets as soon as possible”.
He also requested that the 2026 BISS payments be brought forward and that any residual issues surrounding individual cases or delayed ACRES, TAMS or Farming for Water payments be sorted without delay.
“These will make a tangible difference and give farmers options. When you have the resources, you can plan. When you haven’t, things can appear even bleaker,” Curran concluded.
SHARING OPTIONS