Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has been urged to open a fodder transport scheme to solve localised fodder problems in Kilkenny.

The county’s IFA chair James Murphy said a national transport subsidy is needed to move stocks from where there is surplus to areas where there is a deficit, even within counties.

“If, as is extremely likely, we get a spell of very cold weather, it is absolutely certain we will have fodder issues in Kilkenny despite everyone’s best efforts to plan for the winter. People have used forage crops and fodder stretchers,” Murphy told the Irish Farmers Journal.

He said that while fodder is being moved at the moment, people are buying in anticipation of a shortage. Prices of €20/bale to €30/bale for silage are being quoted by traders.

“There must be a transport subsidy. That would make a huge difference to farmers,” said Murphy. “We are in to a second winter where cashflow is an issue on farms. There is a snowball effect. Last summer there was a lot of money spent on ration.”

Dairygold Co-op reports that there is ongoing demand from its farmer members for fodder and a “limited amount of the winter imports are available”.