The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) is matching farmers with surplus fodder to association members facing feed deficits as winter looms.

The initiative comes one week after Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon suggested that introducing any support for transporting fodder will remain off the table in the short term, as he said that these transport schemes typically work best into the winter when farmers are better able to gauge their individual fodder situations.

Farmers looking to source fodder have been encouraged to submit their location and the possible quantities they require to the ICMSA, while those with surpluses have been asked to outline the type, quantity and price of supplies they are willing to sell, as well as their location.

ADVERTISEMENT

ICMSA president Denis Drennan reported to the Irish Farmer Journal that there has already been a strong response from farmers with fodder surpluses, but that transport costs still remain a stumbling block to igniting the fodder market in the absence of supports.

Supplies available

“There are supplies available in parts of the country and there are farmers out there with stocks who are willing to sell,” the farm leader said on Friday.

“Transport costs are where this could fall through. You are looking at extra costs of €20 to €25/bale in many cases to move fodder from farms with surpluses to those that are looking for it.”

Drennan said that some deals are being negotiated whereby farmers tight on fodder are covering the cost of fertiliser and/or contractor charges for additional cuts of silage to be grown by farmers in green areas.

“We want the message to be put out there that farmers who are lowly stocked can get additional fertiliser allowances when they grow fodder for selling,” Drennan continued.

“There is grass that can still be grown now and extra cuts harvested before the year is over. Farmers should be encouraged to grow as much as they can.”

Subsidy call

The ICMSA has called strongly for the introduction a fodder transport subsidy to help offset the cost of moving bales across the country to drought-stricken regions.

“It would get bales moving and it would give those who can spend money to grow extra grass for bales some certainty that there will buyers on the other end,” Drennan added.

2024 saw the introduction of a Fodder Transport Support Measure that paid out €20/bale for hay or straw and €30/bale for silage or haylage where supplies had been purchased and moved over 75km after 1 April.