The agri-sector is seriously exposed to the escalating labour crisis in the haulage industry.

Feed mills and merchants are battling to hold staff at the moment but they have warned that the added skills required of truck drivers working in the farm sector is a major concern.

There are close to 1,000 vacancies for drivers in the haulage business at the moment, Wexford TD Verona Murphy claimed this week.

She said many hauliers have been forced to park trucks because they don’t have drivers for them.

While merchants and mills insisted that their operations have not been seriously impacted to date, they are concerned that the farm-supply end of the haulage business could take a disproportionate hit if driver availability continues to tighten.

One farm-sector haulier pointed out that drivers have to be trained to drive a Moffett, and that this involves doing a course and getting a forklift ticket.

Drivers must also learn how to offload pallets of fertiliser and meal, sometimes on busy roadsides where entry to farmyards may not be viable with a 40ft trailer, he added.

Feed industry drivers have to know how to operate a blower for bulk meal deliveries, he maintained.

Insurance

It has also emerged that sourcing insurance for young drivers is a major challenge.

Industry sources said it was “almost impossible” to get reasonably-priced insurance for drivers under the age of 25 because insurance companies are reluctant to take them on.

As a result, there are fewer young people entering the sector, while more drivers are nearing retiring age.

“With no replacement coming through, it is looking very much like the priesthood – supply is not meeting demand,” one industry source maintained.

Eugene Drennan of the Irish Road Hauliers Association said the Government needs to display “a greater sense of urgency” in tackling the emerging shortage of drivers.

Drennan said the procedures for hiring non-EU drivers were too complicated and needed to be streamlined.

He said this should be a priority for the authorities.