Fodder deficit is now down to 1%

A  NATIONAL fodder shortfall that at one point during the Summer was as high as 28% is now down to 1%, according to the latest Teagasc surveys undertaken on behalf of the Dept. of Agriculture.

What has been described as a ‘perfect backend’ of weather from August through to the end of October – along with a series of fodder supplementation measures put in place – has helped to close a gap that at one point threatened to be a real Winter crisis for farmers across the country.

Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, said that it was now clear from the latest national fodder survey, that the various support intervention measures had contributed to the massive closing of the gap in the Winter feed shortfall.

However, he warned that the farming sector needed to remain vigilant and to avoid complacency over the coming weeks and months as even now, one in five farms remained in excess of a 10% deficit.

“The principles of fodder budgeting should continue to apply on farms over the Winter and I have asked the group (Inter-Agency Fodder Group) to continue to monitor the situation.

“The collaborative effort of stakeholders in the group, working together, has helped to guide farmers through a difficult period, and avert a significant fodder problem on many farms for this coming Winter and Spring,” said Minister Creed.

For more,  read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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