A concerted effort must be made to prevent fodder shortages and a possible animal welfare crisis developing on farms in the west and northwest, the IFA has warned.
Connacht regional chair Pat Murphy called for a concerted effort from the Department of Agriculture to ensure that farmers in the west are encouraged and supported in harvesting as much second-cut silage as possible.
At a meeting on the farm of Mayo IFA chair Jarlath Walsh in Knock, Murphy pointed out that farmers in the west would struggle to source fodder from the rest of the country this winter since it is likely to be in tight supply nationally.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although the early indications are that first-cut silage crops are stronger than anticipated, the meeting in Knock was told that fertiliser sales in the northwest were 30% back on normal levels.
Both Murphy and IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins insisted that encouraging farmers to harvest as much second-cut silage as possible was essential.
Murphy said other actions would also help. These include:
A reduction in the VAT for agricultural contractors.
An increase in ANC payments.
The provision of low-interest loans to farmers.
Revision of the dates for traditional hay meadows under GLAS.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
A concerted effort must be made to prevent fodder shortages and a possible animal welfare crisis developing on farms in the west and northwest, the IFA has warned.
Connacht regional chair Pat Murphy called for a concerted effort from the Department of Agriculture to ensure that farmers in the west are encouraged and supported in harvesting as much second-cut silage as possible.
At a meeting on the farm of Mayo IFA chair Jarlath Walsh in Knock, Murphy pointed out that farmers in the west would struggle to source fodder from the rest of the country this winter since it is likely to be in tight supply nationally.
Although the early indications are that first-cut silage crops are stronger than anticipated, the meeting in Knock was told that fertiliser sales in the northwest were 30% back on normal levels.
Both Murphy and IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins insisted that encouraging farmers to harvest as much second-cut silage as possible was essential.
Murphy said other actions would also help. These include:
A reduction in the VAT for agricultural contractors.
An increase in ANC payments.
The provision of low-interest loans to farmers.
Revision of the dates for traditional hay meadows under GLAS.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS