The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) is calling for an immediate introduction of a new fodder transport scheme with a much lower distance threshold.

It's also calling for support for producing additional fodder through catch crops.

ICSA rural development chair Edmond Phelan said that the measures already announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon are welcomed, but that more needs to be done in terms of making it easier to get fodder to farms that need it and ways of producing more fodder for the months ahead.

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The distance requirement under the previous fodder transport scheme should be substantially reduced to a threshold of around 20km to 25km, Phelan stated.

“If there is fodder available 20km or 25km away, farmers should be able to buy it and get it moved.

"It makes much more sense to move fodder over shorter distances and would also give agricultural contractors more scope to do the work.”

Catch crops

A catch crops scheme similar to what was introduced in 2018 should also be introduced without delay, Phelan said.

“Teagasc could help match dairy and livestock farmers who need fodder with tillage farmers who have land available.

"People who have the capacity to grow more will only do it if they have certainty that there will be a market for it.”

Additionally, he called for a derogation for tillage land in ACRES to be considered.

He explained that some tillage land is currently in an ACRES measure involving overwinter stubble which cannot be touched until January and that this land could be used to grow catch crops for fodder instead.

“We need to look at every practical option now. Many farmers are already drawing heavily on their winter fodder and if that continues, supplies could be seriously depleted by Christmas.

“We need to act now to stop this fodder crisis becoming a catastrophe.”