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Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and officials in the Department must quickly introduce a scheme to support tillage farmers to grow forage crops, according to the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).
IFA national grain chair Kieran McEvoy said the introduction of such a fodder crop incentive scheme should be “considered urgently over the next two weeks” by the Minister.
Explaining the need for such a scheme, McEvoy said that weather conditions in July have been “very favourable” and that, therefore, “a very significant area of winter barley is now harvested and even baled across the country”.
He said this progress is “running at least seven to 10 days ahead of a typical year”.
‘Great opportunity’
The Laois farmer described how these harvesting conditions have provided a “great opportunity for tillage farmers to get forage crops sown after winter barley at an optimal time”.
However, he said “a financial contribution towards [crop] establishment and fertiliser costs, which are very significantly higher than the past five years, is urgently needed for this to happen at a meaningful level”.
While not yet providing costings for the scheme to the Irish Farmers Journal, McEvoy said the proposed fodder crop incentive could be similar to the one launched in 2018.
‘Critical’ for livestock farmers
The IFA grain chair suggested that more tillage farmers growing forage crops will be “critical for certain livestock sectors, such as the store lambs”.
“Grass growth rates have declined on the back of higher soil moisture deficits in the mid-east and southeastern regions of the country and late summer grass in these areas underpins the store lamb production system.
“Time of is the essence here [and] a commitment from the Minister and his officials on a forage crop support scheme is needed quickly for both sheep and tillage farmers before the store lamb trade starts and the optimal sowing window passes,” McEvoy concluded.
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