Dairygold is stockpiling fodder imports to avoid crises in the future and it has further deliveries lined up for the next few weeks, Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe told a meeting in Mallow on Monday night.

Current fodder supplies within the co-op’s catchment range from a surplus in the western areas to pockets with a deficit of 25% to 30% in the east, he said. The co-op commenced importing fodder in April and brought in 7,000t.

Speaking at a Brexit and fodder event in Mallow on Monday, Woulfe also detailed the actions that were taken during the drought period, with financial tools such as rebates and free credit in place from July to September.

“We are in importation mode in the past two months again with alfalfa from Italy the order of the day. Five thousand tonnes have been imported, with 60% of this delivered to farms. The remainder is being stockpiled to avoid crisis in future, with further deliveries lined up for the next few weeks.”

Challenging weather

Despite challenging weather in 2018, Wolfe commended suppliers for their performance. “Average milk supply for the last five weeks is up 26% on the corresponding time last year. Last week, milk supply was 18.6m litres. It’s not long ago that the peak milk supply was 30m litres.”

Other speakers included Fianna Fáil spokesperson on food and horticulture Jackie Cahill TD and ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch.

Deputy Cahill said trying to discriminate against dairy cattle from the beef herd is not the way forward.

He reminded those present that the Hereford and Angus bonus schemes were built on dairy cross cattle.

Meanwhile, Punch urged a rethink on how farm incomes and costs are measured. “With no account taken of own labour or land, that is not proper economics. We are living in cloud cuckoo land if we think the cost of labour is €10/hour. We need reality in those figures or we are leading ourselves down the garden path.”