Fodder Transport Subsidy Must Be Rolled out Quickly

More detail on the fodder transport subsidy scheme announced by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed at this week’s IFA AGM is urgently required, and the scheme needs to be implemented quickly, IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Padraic Joyce has said.

The Connacht Chairman welcomed the Minister’s intention to introduce a subsidy but he said the scheme must be progressed without delay. IFA has sought a meeting with the Department of Agriculture to discuss the details of the scheme and to ensure that it meets the needs of farmers affected.

Padraic Joyce said the IFA believes a meal voucher system would have been the best and most efficient means of providing support but in the absence of such a scheme, it is vital that the transport subsidy is meaningful and its implementation is fast-tracked as farmers are under extreme stress and are in dire need of feed for animals.

In response to the fodder crisis, IFA has mobilised its national county and branch network to support those farmers in most difficulty. Counties have been twinned to identify farmers who are in a position to contribute feed that can be transported to areas in need and provided at a reasonable cost.